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All fake products aren't counterfeited. Many are just rubbish with a fake logo

In our everyday life, most of us aren't bothered with distinguishing between different types of fakes. But when fighting them, it becomes important to be clear about the differences, especially when developing technological solutions to expose them for what they are. The key differentiator is: Is there an original product or are they pretending that cheap rubbish comes from a fancy brand.


Counterfeiting – copying products, selling them as genuine

Counterfeiting products is like counterfeiting money and art. The criminals imitate designs and products, peddling them as genuine, trying to sell them at a price that is lower than the original, but not too low to raise suspicions. It's for this kind of fraud we have designed isAuthentic, the easiest product authentication service we know of.


There's an original. There's a copy and isAuthentic tells which is which.


Trademark infringements

The other type of fakes is less sophisticated. Maybe that's also why it's so widespread. Producers don't even try to copy original designs, they just slap a fake logo on any standard product ("substandard" rather). They might have used your logo, pretending the product was from you, but they haven't even made the effort to copy your product.


It might not even look like the designs of the manufacturer whose logo they have used. In some ways, this might even do more harm to brands as ghastly-looking products flood the market, carrying your logo.


Usually, they are sold at much cheaper prices in open-air markets or by street vendors, and buyers can hardly claim to have bought them in good faith, believing that they truly were genuine.


Fighting these fraudsters looks like an easier task, technically, as it is no longer a matter of proving which product is genuine. All you need to show that "there is no original product with this design". Luckily, we at Blue Cromos can help you find this kind of fraudsters too. Read on...


The Ferrari anti-counterfeiting reward program

As we have stated before, no one is safe from counterfeiters, not even power car brands like Ferrari. But copying the actual cars is too advanced for most counterfeiters. But selling fake Ferrari merchandise seems to be a pot of honey for trademark fraudsters. And Ferrari seem fed up with tacky merchandise pretending to be from them.

Ferrari cars are not only difficult to copy, they are pretty expensive to buy. But many fans can afford a cap, a scarf or so, hoping for some of the Ferrari magic to rub off on them. And the merchandise helps build the brand, which is why Ferrari have now launched a program encouraging the public to report merchandise pretending to be from Ferrari, rewarding new finds with genuine Ferrari items.


We could speed it up for Ferrari - or for you

The programme is interesting, but we at Blue Cromos find it a bit manual and unsophisticated for such an edgy brand. We're used to applying technology to make things go faster and work for greater volumes. We also think such a programme should reflect the image of the brand as being on the edge of technology.


If Ferrari asked for our help, we would rather apply the technology we have developed together with GS1 Sweden for easy handling of digital product passport data. In that process, we first verify that the product number (the GTIN in the bar code for example) actually exists, is valid and who owns it. Then, as we retrieve the data about the product, we validate the source of that data. If any of these validations fails, you're most certainly holding a fake product in your hand.

For a company like Ferrari, this could be applied in a dedicated app ("is it Ferrari?" perhaps?) that didn't worry about any other products than theirs and immediately just return a green or red light,  take a picture, upload it to Ferrari, together with your data and location (with your consent, of course) and, just as fast, check if this very design had been reported previously. Wouldn't that be more on brand than getting a genuine gift item after 60 days?

How does that sound to you, Ferrari?


Not only for Ferrari

Of course, taking such measures would work for any other brand wanting to fight trademark fraudsters. Does that sound like something for you? Just reach out at https://www.bluecromos.com/contact. We'll be happy to help!



Counterfeiting – copying products, selling them as genuine Counterfeiting products is like counterfeiting money and art. The criminals imitate design and products, peddling them as genuine, trying to sell them at a price that is lower than the original, but not too low to raise suspicions. It's for this kind of fraud we have designed isAuthentic, the easiest product authentication service we know of. There's an original. There's a copy and isAuthentic tells which is which. Trademark infringements The other type of fakes is less sophisticated. Maybe that's also why it's so widespread. Producers don't even try to copy original designs, they just slap a fake logo on any standard product ("substandard" rather). They might have used your logo, pretending the product was from you, but they haven't even made the effort to copy your product. It might not even look like the designs of the manufacturer whose logo they have used. In some ways, this might even do more harm to brands as ghastly-looking products flood the market, carrying your logo. Usually, they are sold at much cheaper prices in open-air markets or by street vendors, and buyers can hardly claim to have bought them in good faith, believing that they truly were genuine. Fighting these fraudsters looks like an easier task, technically, as it is no longer a matter of proving which product is genuine. All you need to show that "there is no original product with this design". Luckily, we at Blue Cromos can help you against both types of fraudsters.
The fakers seem to invest their creativity in coming up with as similar, but slightly different , brand names as possible.

Image: Chuck Coker on Flickr

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