Comment: IAA Urges Companies to Step up Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts

Howard added: "Counterfeiters need little excuse at the best of times to ply their trade, but in the current economic scenario they are likely to find a more willing audience among consumers who are also looking to cut costs. Too often they will buy cheap goods without realizing they are poor quality counterfeits - or they will buy on the cheap even if they realize they're fake.  

"And if companies do cut back on their anti-counterfeiting efforts, then the environment for fakes will be even more attractive."

With manufacturers cutting back on the one hand, and a more attractive environment for counterfeits on the other, it goes without saying that any let-up in investment is absolutely the wrong action for such brand owners to take, warns the IAA.

Howard added: "The first action to take in order to ride out the coming storm is to hold on to the sales and markets that you already have. Counterfeits will undoubtedly start eroding these, unless companies protect themselves and their consumers. 

"Continuing investment in features and systems that prevent losses will help companies through the hard times ahead."

As well as costing legitimate manufacturers market share, counterfeits also bring health and safety risks to consumers. For example, counterfeit medicines may contain poisons or do not contain any active ingredient; inferior counterfeit vehicle parts cause accidents, and counterfeit cosmetics can cause skin damage. Such problems can rebound on brand owners if they do not take proper and adequate steps to protect their goods from the counterfeiters.

The International Authentication Association (IAA) is the industry body for suppliers and users of authentication technologies, systems and services. It is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and effective use of authenticating technologies and processes to the end user community and the public.