Anti-Counterfeiting Operations

Product counterfeiting is big business. The overall costs of product counterfeiting are estimated to be as much as 5 to 7% of total world trade. That's roughly $500 billion dollars US, each year. From CD's and DVD's to high-end handbags, sunglasses and even pharmaceuticals - nothing is immune from counterfeiting.

Counterfeiters will copy and sell anything that turns a profit, without regard to consumer safety and without regard for the law. They manufacture goods as cheaply as possible with the single goal of maximizing their return. The costs of counterfeiting are shared by all of us - consumers, manufacturers, retailers, communities and entire economies.

For more than a decade, UL has taken an aggressive stance against counterfeiting through a comprehensive program that involves law enforcement agencies from around the world. The company works closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to provide them with the information necessary to distinguish between authentic and counterfeit UL Marks. Since 1995, there have been more than 1,300 seizures of counterfeit products at entry ports from coast to coast, preventing millions of counterfeit product from reaching consumers. In addition, UL has mandated the use of holographic labels for several product categories targeted by counterfeiters.

UL has a zero tolerance policy for counterfeit goods and does not consent to the import, export, or manipulation of seized merchandise carrying a counterfeit UL Mark. The mission of UL's anti-counterfeiting program is three-fold - first and foremost, to protect the safety of consumers around the world from the hazards of counterfeit electrical products; secondly, to preserve the integrity of UL's family of Marks, and finally, to provide additional value to the legitimate, responsible manufacturers that have invested the time and resources to meet UL's safety standards.

About 20 billion UL Marks appear on products entering the stream of commerce each year. Although counterfeit UL Marks have been detected on imported electrical products, this represents only a small fraction of all UL Marks used annually. However, even one counterfeit UL Mark is one too many, given the safety concerns involved in the certification of electrical products.

Anti-Counterfeiting White Paper Released

Taking Counterfeiters to Task: Strategies for Your Organization

2008 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference

Following on the huge success of the 2007 IP conference in Niagara Falls, Canada, INTERPOL and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories, will be hosting the 2008 International Law Enforcement IP Crime Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada on June 24, 25 and 26. Visit our Conference Page to learn more.

Contact Us

All questions regarding UL's Anti-Counterfeiting Program should be directed to anticounterfeiting@us.ul.com