This is nothing new for the end consumer. What is new, however, is the increasing focus of counterfeiters on high-priced products in the industrial sector. As a result, medium-sized technology innovation companies in the German regions are increasingly being targeted by product counterfeiters.
This is the case with STEGO. "For years we have been actively fighting against counterfeit versions of our products. However, what we experienced when copies of our CS 060 heating element appeared on the market was unprecedented. The counterfeit CS 060 is an exact copy of our product. Even the packaging, technical data sheet, and instruction manual have been copied in detail," explains research and development manager Peter Witsch.
The goal is to expose the unscrupulous counterfeiters who infringe on intellectual property and pass it off as their own creative work. It also aims to raise public awareness of this complex problem, which affects both industry and consumers. It's worth noting that bringing a product to market based on an idea is a time-consuming, high-cost process that demands innovative skills.
STEGO's Managing Director, Mr. Elmar Mangold, takes the same line of reasoning in his speech: "As a developer, it stirs up certain emotions when I see others misusing our innovative ideas. The development approach for the CS 060 heating element was audacious: take a burning ember, enclose it safely, and generate enough heat to warm an electrical panel. This seems simple, but it isn't. Someone who knows the solution and copies it saves themselves a great deal of effort.".
Counterfeiting is an expression of greed for profit and a lack of scruples. The piracy of products and brands is often considered a trivial offense, and these cases are swept under the rug. However, the figures speak for themselves. According to the European Commission, in 2016 alone, European customs officials seized more than 41 million goods infringing intellectual property, with an estimated value of €670 million, at EU borders—and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
During the Hannover Fair in 2016, STEGO and German Customs confronted a counterfeiter's exhibition stand and shut it down for plagiarism. The counterfeit products were destroyed by customs authorities, and the exhibitor was banned from the fair. STEGO will remain vigilant at future trade fairs and will take action against potential counterfeiters and their products.
The product design, which is not limited by technology, is an exact copy of the original product. Furthermore, the STEGO article reference, certificates, and user manual were altered, leading to confusion. The quality and performance of the plagiarized product are inferior, and essential safety standards set by the electrical industry are violated by the copy.
