Counterfeit products are often wrongly considered victimless crimes and in the automobile sector, many consumers are not aware of the risks associated with ‘fake’ vehicle parts when it comes to traffic safety, for example.
“Although motorists want to save money and look for replacement parts themselves on the web and then ask their trusted workshops to install them, they are at risk of becoming the victims of fakes,” says Jürgen Buchert, managing director of TecAlliance GmbH. To make the public more aware of the dangers of counterfeit vehicle spare parts, TecDoc Catalogue, the operator of the global vehicle and spare parts database is supporting the British initiative against international product piracy.
Under the title “Think before you buy,” the British government has started an international awareness campaign together with car manufacturers, aftermarket players, industry associations and major online platforms. In addition to consumer risks, the economic damage caused by counterfeit products is substantial. The Intellectual Property Office of the European Union estimates that the EU market for tires and batteries alone suffers an annual loss of more than 2 billion euros (or roughly $2.3 billion US dollars).
“We are proud to be part of this initiative because fake parts are not just a problem for vehicle and parts manufacturers. The protection of the consumer and of intellectual property affects us all,” warns Dr. Daniel Dünnebacke, chief operating officer of oneIDentity+.
TecAlliance has been actively fighting product piracy for some time, and 10 years ago, it introduced the Manufacturers Against Product Piracy (MAPP) Initiative. Through MAPP, automotive suppliers of leading brands have now been working together closely for years.
Partnership offers fast, robust solution
To distinguish genuine from fake parts faster in the future, many participants of the MAPP initiative mark their original products with a data matrix barcode based on the coding recommendation worked out by the European parts manufacturer association CLEPA. With oneIDentity+, TecAlliance has developed an IT solution for the car spare parts market so that the unique MAPP code can be easily checked. Within seconds, the user knows whether a replacement part is original and can access detailed information about the product.
oneIDentity+ also is responsible for the global management of the MAPP code. The globally unique, two-dimensional MAPP code, which is based on GS1 standards, has become an industry standard in the automotive aftermarket and clearly identifies each part from the factory. It also is now used in other industries. The MAPP code is stored on the oneIDentity+ cloud platform.
The oneIDentity+ database already includes more than 1.8 billion product codes. From 90 countries around the world, the authenticity verification specialist receives more than 30,000 enquiries every month about products, machines and systems from a wide range of user groups including workshops, customs, service and logistics employees.
Suppliers, online retailers and association band together
In addition to TecAlliance, other members of the British government initiative include the vehicle manufacturers Audi and BMW, as well as the parts manufacturers NGK Spark Plugs, TMD Friction and Philips Automotive. There also are industry associations involved, including the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), the Independent Garage Association (IGA) and of course, MAPP.
Other participants include the online commercial giants Amazon and eBay, as well as Trading Standards, the Police IP Crime Unit, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), M-Sport, Motor Sports Association UK (MSA) and the International Automobile Association (iaa).
“Product piracy is a challenge faced by a range of manufacturers and industries, which will only be exacerbated during the digital transformation. As part of Industry 4.0, it will become more important than ever to be able to trace the origin of components, spare parts and tools,” said Dr. Dünnebacke.
oneIDentity+ standard open to other industries
Because plagiarism is not confined to the automotive industry, oneIDentity+ has significantly advanced its technological offering and has opened the standard to other industries. In addition, the company has further adapted its services to meet current customer needs: The multi-vendor platform supports role-specific and mobile processes and enables, among other things, the integration of vendor-specific and industry-specific customer loyalty programs, returns management processes, track & trace and mobile and parts-specific provision of maintenance and installation information.
The authentication specialist will present the current status of the mobile application at Automechanika, Sept. 11-15 in Frankfurt, Germany. (Booth A02 in the passage 5.1 – 6.1). Only a week later, from Sept. 18-22 at the AMB International Exhibition for Metalworking in Stuttgart, Germany, companies from other industries will show how they use services based on the oneIDentity+ platform (Stand B12 in Hall 1).
The Intellectual Property Office of the European Union estimates that the EU market for tires and batteries alone suffers an annual loss of more than 2 billion euros (or roughly $2.3 billion US dollars).
Visit TecAlliance at Automechanika Booth A01 / A10 – hall 5_6.1.
