Strong message of zero-tolerance being sent to dealers of fake Ink bottles
April 22 2016, 17.26 PM IST || Pocket News Alert
Bangalore, April 22nd, 2016: In an effort to curb the sale of counterfeit ink bottles and to protect the rights of its customers, Epson has recently increased its vigilance and action against manufacturers and dealers of counterfeit Epson Ink bottles. On the basis of the Epson vigilance team’s information, the Mumbai police raided the premises of a dealer in Jogeshwari, Mumbai in a swift and well-co-ordinated action on 5th March. This dealer was involved in the manufacture and supply of counterfeit Epson Ink bottles in Mumbai and to other parts of the country. The manufacturer of the Epson counterfeit Ink bottles, Mauji Kamji Ora, was arrested and charged under the prevailing laws of the land with counterfeiting and violating intellectual property rights and subsequently remanded to judicial custody. About 1000 packs of refilled inkbottles were seized along with other equipment, duplicate logos and stickers. The unit was shuttered.
A few weeks later, another raid was done by the crime branch on the 29th of March in Mumbai based on information of a big scam involving filling, bottling, packaging and distributing of counterfeit Epson ink in Mumbai and to other parts of India. This business was owned by Ganajibhai Hatiyani who was operating the bottling unit from a shop in Kandivali (W), Mumbai. The owner of the business, has been declared absconding and the Police has arrested one of the employees, Rahul Kumar Lodhi. The Police is on the trail of the owner and arrests are expected soon. During the surprise raid the police seized 120 litres of coloured and black ink, 40,000 glossy papers, a large quantity of packed and empty Epson ink bottles with Epson Trademark on it, packing boxes, Epson bar code stickers and logos.
The raids this year follow a 2015 year end raid in the Fountain area of Mumbai, where a well-established counterfeit manufacturer, running a massive illegal ink bottle racket catering to large parts of west and central India, was terminated and arrested. In an effort to send a strong message of zero tolerance towards the sale of fake cartridges the police in different parts of the country have stepped up their co-operation and efforts to arrest and terminate such practices.
A spokesperson at Seiko Epson Corporation said “We applaud the efforts of the Mumbai police to curb this menace and will whole heartedly assist and support the law enforcement authorities in all such crack downs.” He went on to say, “Epson takes great care to observe the law and regulations, and to maintain high standards of corporate ethics while at the same time expecting others to show appropriate respect for its rights. We will continue vigorous enforcement of our intellectual property rights to protect our innovative products against those who use Epson's patented technology, trademarks, and other intellectual property without permission.”
Seiko Epson Corporation says it will keep on supporting the enforcement authorities for such raids in future to protect its interests and to protect the business of its authorised dealers and also act as a deterrent to the erring manufacturers and dealers.
###
About Epson
Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader whose product lineup ranges from inkjet printers and 3LCD projectors to sensors and other micro devices. Dedicated to exceeding the vision of its customers worldwide, Epson delivers customer value based on compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies in markets spanning enterprise and the home to commerce and industry.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 81,000 employees in 97 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates.http://global.epson.com/
About Epson India
Epson India Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in the year 2000. Present in every major city in the country, Epson products address the needs of the entire computer peripheral market as also those of consumers with specialized needs. Headquartered in Bangalore, Epson India today has an enviable reputation for quality and value. The company markets and supports Epson Dot-Matrix Printers, Inkjet Printers, Inkjet All-in-Ones, Laser Printers, Point of Sale Printers & Systems, Scanners and LCD Projectors. In most of these categories Epson is either the No.1 or No.2 brand or growing fast.