Karnataka the hub of counterfeit products, says Hewlett-Packard

BENGALURU: Hewlett-Packard, a global IT major, says raids by enforcement agencies have yielded counterfeit print cartridges and components worth Rs 1.4 crore agencies in four cities across Karnataka.
The authorities have raided and taken legal actions against the counterfeit manufacturers and sellers in Bangalore, Mysore, Belgaum and Hasan. In all, they have seized over 1,149 toner cartridges and ink cartridges as well as more than 12,080 counterfeit components between January and mid-October 2015 in a joint action by the company and the local authorities.
It is believed that Karnataka has become a major counterfeit hub with a large number of fake manufacturers, distributors and sellers of counterfeit HP components. Since January 2015, more than 3.45 lakh counterfeit cartridges and components worth more than Rs 35.5 crore were seized by local agencies across 46 cities in 18 states in country, a company spokesperson said.
“Customers purchase what they often assume to be a genuine HP product, but instead, they receive a cartridge that provides them with an inferior print experience,” said an HP spokesperson.