destroyed at the premises of Interseroh Franken
Rohstoff, a metal recycling company based in
Schweinfurt, Germany. A large proportion of
the counterfeit products marked with the INA
and FAG brand were seized in raids on bearing
distributors across Europe. The spindle bearings,
spherical roller bearings, ball bearings and needle
roller bearings scrapped during this operation
were part of a much larger seizure of confiscated
counterfeit products.
Schaeffler Australia performed a similar operation
in Sydney in 2012, where they destroyed more
than 9.5 tonnes of counterfeit INA and FAG
branded product it had confiscated.
Schaeffler increasingly works with customs
authorities to fight product piracy. Customs
officials typically review incoming shipments
to ensure they fulfil legal requirements and
review whether any trademark infringements
have occurred. In China, for example, both
imported and exported goods are inspected. This
cooperation is important in order to effectively
prevent counterfeit goods from reaching the
international market in the most effective
way possible. In 2016, a total of 182 seizures
worldwide were made due to trademark violations
suffered by the Schaeffler Group. 5,675,812
counterfeit parts were confiscated during these
raids.
More recently, in March 2017, an importer in
Turkey was imprisoned and counterfeit rolling
bearings with a nominal value of 250,000 Euros
(about A$400,000) were destroyed after customs
officials at the port of Mersin began to suspect
that the FAG-branded bearings may not be
genuine and sent photographs to Schaeffler’s
Brand Protection Team, who then took over and
handled all subsequent measures.
ENHANCED PROTECTION
In order to help buyers check the authenticity of
their products, manufacturers of bearings have
introduced a variety of measures. Schaeffler has
introduced the OriginCheck app, which provides
end customers, distributors and authorities with
an easy method of clarification when suspicion
about a bearing arises. If one of these checks
leads the user to suspect that a product may be
counterfeit, he or she can use the OriginCheck to
obtain proper clarification.
The checks are carried out based on the traceable
data matrix codes (DMC) that are placed on the
Schaeffler packaging. These two-dimensional
codes contain various types of information in a
machine-readable form and allows the relevant
product to be identified worldwide. 90 per cent
of products that are supplied by Schaeffler today
already feature a DMC on the packaging.
The user scans this DMC with the OriginCheck
app and immediately receives notification
of whether the code has been found in the
database that is maintained by Schaeffler. If one
of these Schaeffler codes is authentic but has
already been scanned multiple times, the user
then receives a warning based on a defined
set of criteria. If this is the case, or if the code’s
authenticity is clearly not confirmed, the app
can be used to create suitable photographic
documentation of the product being checked.
WHEN SUSPICION ARISES
Photos of the product, its packaging and
markings play a decisive role in helping to
clarify with certainty whether a product is an
original or a counterfeit. The OriginCheck app
gives the user a step-by-step explanation of
which photographs are relevant, illustrated
using examples. The finished photographic
documentation can be e-mailed directly from the
app to the central department responsible for
combating product and brand piracy at Schaeffler.
Since 2004, the team has handled thousands
cases, and is continuously developing measures
to protect against product piracy and trademark
infringements.
FINDING A DISTRIBUTOR
To remain as safe as possible from counterfeit
rolling bearings, Schaeffler recommends only
purchasing goods from its own network of
certified distributors. These certified distributors
have direct access to original INA and FAG
products and also offer expert advice and the full
range of relevant services.
A leading NZ exporter of
recyclable metals since 1959
means we have found the
best and most reliable
markets, and can offer the
best possible prices.
04 589 2222
www.macaulaymetals.co.nz
R E C Y C L I N G
Aluminium I Brass I Copper I Lead I Stainless steel I Steel
Buyers and traders of all scrap metals
• Commercial and industrial metal specialists
• Certified destruction / demolition service
• Plant decommissioning and project management
• Health and safety management
• Shipping and logistics specialists
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