counterfeiting

On the technical level there are different possibilities to fight counterfeiting and to prohibit the use of counterfeited parts in machinery and equipment. The aim should be to enable the machinery and equipment to recognize the exchange of wearing or the assembly of additional parts automatically and to check their originality independently. RFID offers not only the conditions to realize the suggested functions but also the possibility to check the authenti-city of products along the whole supply chain. Of course, the checking of parts along the supply chain avoids that co-pies or counterfeited goods break into the original value added chain.

Innovation is important for the competitiveness of an enterprise. Patents protect innovations and enable companies to exploit the fruits of their R&D. This article focuses on the effects of product piracy upon our Western patent system. It shows that in the future there will be only two alternatives for the strategic IP-management in sectors exposed to piracy threats: to patent the inventions in all relevant markets or to maintain them as trade secrets. This paper highlights the parameters as well as results.

Capital goods industry is imperilled by counterfeiting more than ever. Legal services are the preferred measure of companies facing this challenge. This article shows further possibilities how producing companies can protect themselves effectively against counterfeiting. There are many technological and organisational measures already available. Furthermore, innovative measures are being developed at the very moment. Considering this background it is necessary to inform affected companies about the manifold possibilities of preventing counterfeiting. Moreover it is essential to depict how a specific threat can be faced by combining stand alone measures to customised safety concepts.

Consumergoods but also technical products, pharmaceuticals etc. are increasingly counterfeid. Production and global sales are often controlled by organised crime. The local confiscation of counterfeits does not impress the fraudsters. Effective countermeasures must include the closure of their production facilities.

Business losses by industrial counterfeiting and product piracy are versatile and substantial. It is a matter of concern for any industry sector [1]. For capital goods manufacturers, almost two of three businesses have already been struck by piracy [2, 3]. Effective countermeasures are, however, not only an issue during product development and production, but require also special consideration in after sales life cycle phases. Thus, PiratPro (www.piratpro.de) aims at holistic concepts that integrate service processes and technical countermeasures into “copy-proof” product bundles.