CIO East Africa - Business Technology Leadership

Samsung Electronics Southern Africa has started testing its anti-counterfeit squad network in Zambia before expanding the network to other regional countries once proved successful.

The objective of the crack down is not only to arrest distributors of the counterfeit products, but also to reveal where the products were produced and stored.

In a bid to ensure a quick and steady supply of its products in Africa to counter the distribution of counterfeit products, the company is also setting up a fifth electronic assembly plant in Ethiopia in addition to plants in South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Sudan.

If the counterfeit squad network proves successful, Samsung intends to expand the network to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Mali, Tanzania and Kenya among other African countries as the company moves to prevent the emergence of Samsung counterfeit products on the Africa market.

Samsung Southern Africa managing director Maengdal Bae said the company is testing the anti-counterfeit network in Zambia because the Zambian government has shown a commitment to fighting counterfeits. The Zambian government has come up with regulations aimed at curbing the entry of fake products on the market and has also set up an anti-piracy unit.

Despite the existence of the regulations and the anti-piracy unit, however, not much has been done to thwart counterfeit Samsung products, which still find their way to the Zambian market undetected.

"Counterfeit products are impacting negatively on the Zambian government's revenue," said Samsung country manager for Zambia Chabala Kaunda.

Assorted counterfeit Samsung products where seized by the Zambia police intellectual property unit last week. In June last year, Samsung officially complained to the Zambian government following an increase in Samsung counterfeit products, which are cheap and not durable. Samsung is hoping that developing a fake product control market through partnering with reliable law enforcement agencies will end that trend.

Zambian Minister of Science and Technology Brian Chituwo said it is important that Zambia understand the critical role intellectual property plays in technology at the national level.

"The government understands that a conducive environment for innovation and commercialization is only possible if a country has adequate policies and laws, which allow for the award and protection of innovation and creativity," Chituwo said.

Therefore, Chituwo said it is in the Zambian government's interest to protect valuable technologies from being counterfeited.