UL's anti-counterfeiting program
UL's mission is public safety and we take that responsibility seriously. Because goods with counterfeit UL Marks can be hazardous, UL has developed a comprehensive anti-counterfeiting program to prevent products bearing counterfeit UL Marks from entering the stream of commerce.
Because consumers, retailers, regulators, manufacturers and distributors rely on the UL Mark of safety, we've invested in building a dedicated team of professionals whose sole responsibility is to oversee the protection of UL's intellectual property. Since 1995, this team has worked with law enforcement and provided UL Mark authentication training to customs officials around the world. As early as 1993, UL recognized the threat of product counterfeiting and incorporated anti-counterfeiting technology into our labeling format.
UL's strategy for protecting the UL Mark from would-be counterfeiters is built on three pillars: enforcement, education and partnerships. Each pillar represents a vital component of UL's overall anti-counterfeiting program. Maximum impact is achieved when all three tactics are used together.
Enforcement
UL's enforcement strategy relies heavily on the involvement and support of the law enforcement agencies that can seize products, lay criminal charges and ultimately prosecute counterfeiters. The foundation of our partnerships with law enforcement agencies is UL's zero tolerance policy for counterfeiters. The policy states:
It is the policy of UL not to consent to the importation, exportation, or manipulation of merchandise that has been seized by U.S. Customs or any other international law enforcement agency for bearing counterfeit UL Certification Marks.
This policy is uniformly applied and is considered reasonable and necessary in order to protect the integrity of UL's Registered Marks.
UL does not compromise or negotiate with respect to this policy.
Education
The second pillar of UL's anti-counterfeiting strategy is education. To effectively combat intellectual property crime, it is vital to raise awareness of the hazards associated with product counterfeiting and show how this crime impacts consumers, retailers, distributors, manufacturers, governments and entire economies. Our anti-counterfeiting training and education program is one of the most comprehensive in the world. One component of our training program includes product authentication training for various law enforcement and/or jurisdictional authority personnel. Sessions include training on the four-element UL Mark and holographic labels.
Another component of our training program is for a broader audience and focuses on the potential hazards of products bearing counterfeit UL Marks and the costs of counterfeiting to society as a whole.
Lastly, we also provide training and assistance to UL clients. We are available as a resource for UL clients that may be experiencing problems or need help building their own internal anti-counterfeiting programs.
Partnership
The final and perhaps most important pillar of UL's anti-counterfeiting strategy rests upon the strong partnerships we have developed with police and customs agencies, governmental bodies, industry organizations, jurisdictional authorities, other intellectual property rights holders, and UL clients.
The core of UL's anti-counterfeiting program is based upon the network of partners that we have developed over almost 15 years of combating counterfeiting. Without the support of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and other federal and local agencies, our global partners, and our clients, we would not have been able to achieve our current level of success. UL greatly values these partnerships and continually works to improve and maintain them as well as to develop new relationships to help UL more effectively combat product counterfeiting.
