Issue #0605/2 - Being able to track the source of individual products regardless of where they are finally purchased is proving so valuable to Hewlett-Packard that the company is developing its tracking capabilities further.
Hewlett-Packard’s technology approach to grey importers paying dividends
Grey imports will soon be even more easily identified and tracked across geographies thanks to technology advancements that are already paying dividends in reducing illegal imports.
Hewlett-Packard has already begun a process of applying technology to the fight against grey imports with the introduction of bar codes on product, to counter the growing threat from companies importing cheaper goods into the European Economic Area (EEA) from other geographies.
By importing these goods into the EEA, companies infringe trademark agreements.
Encouraged by recent successes in tracking illegally imported goods, Hewlett-Packard is introducing a new serial number tracking system during the course of this year, hoping to be able to increase the effectiveness of the protection system.
Because this activity is primarily at distributor level, successes by the manufacturer in identifying illegal goods can leave dealers feeling uncomfortable about the potential for action to be taken against them as well as against the distributor.
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