A counterfeit or fake good is a product made to look exactly like another original product; this is typically achieved by applying or using trademarks and packaging design of the original product, thereby infringing the trademark of that product. Counterfeit products are meant to deceive customers into believing they are buying genuine goods, usually at what appears to be a great discount. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product.

Dealing in counterfeits is illegal and prohibited in most countries, including but not limited to the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland (CH).¹⁰

Counterfeiting of printing supplies generally occurs when a non-HP original cartridge (i.e. a refilled, remanufactured, or cloned cartridge) for an HP printer is marketed in an unauthorised HP-branded box imitating genuine HP packaging. Consumers purchase what they often assume to be legitimate original HP products – and instead receive fakes of inferior quality or which often are malfunctioning, e.g. cartridges that fail prematurely or that damage printers.

Although counterfeit cartridges may look like genuine HP cartridges, they do not provide the high print quality, reliability, and yields that customers have come to expect from original HP products.

Instead, using counterfeit cartridges can entail significant risks. These risks can include substandard print quality, reduced page yields, cartridges which fail prematurely or do not work at all, and even damaged printers due to leaking ink or toner, potentially meaning repair or service costs and interrupted workflows.

A recent study¹¹ by the Organisation for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods represents up to 3.3% of world trade, or as much as USD 509 billion. In the European Union (EU), counterfeit and pirated goods amount to up to 6.8% of imports or as much as EUR 121 billion. The report also notes that counterfeiting causes revenue losses for companies, leading to direct and indirect job losses, and government revenue losses.

Please do not confuse counterfeit, grey market, and legitimate refilled or remanufactured products.

Grey marketing, also known as parallel imports, refers to the importation, without authorisation from HP as the brand owner, of HP branded products into the European Economic Area (EEA)1 and Switzerland (CH). Grey marketing is a trademark infringement in the EEA and Switzerland. For clarity, cross-border sales of legitimate HP products within the EEA and CH are not considered grey marketing. Grey marketing can entail several risks for traders and customers; additionally, it can serve to mask further fraudulent dealings such as counterfeiting or tax fraud.

Refilling and remanufacturing of cartridges are generally considered legitimate business provided that products are clearly presented as such. An example of a legitimate refilled cartridge is if the product clearly states “refilled“, does not misuse the HP logo but uses the refiller’s company name or brand, and generally does not misuse the design, name etc. of an original HP cartridge. Please note, however, that packaging or selling such products in a way that confuses customers into believing that they are buying a brand-new genuine HP cartridge, or a product that is associated with or endorsed by but not manufactured by HP, or in case a product is using HP’s intellectual property without HP’s consent, this might constitute an infringement of HP intellectual property rights and/or consumer protection laws, such as misleading advertising or unfair commercial practices laws.¹²

HP has very high quality standards for all its products, including printing supplies. Generally, original HP printing supplies are delivered in unopened, high-quality packaging. Among others, the following indicators might point to a counterfeit cartridge: the HP security label on the cartridge box does not exhibit the correct features; the cartridge is delivered in packaging that appears to have been tampered with, that is of poor quality, or that deviates from HP’s packaging; the print quality of the cartridge is poor or it fails completely.

Customers can find detailed guidance on how to spot suspicious products and how to purchase safely in the download section of this website. In addition, they can request a free on-site Customer Delivery Inspection (CDI) for large or mid-sized deliveries of HP cartridges in case they suspect counterfeiting.