The worldwide trade of counterfeit goods is booming. Global criminal networks are producing and distributing counterfeit medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and other health-related supplies. In fact, in February 2017, the International Trademark Association and the International Chamber of Commerce published a report estimating that...
The value of counterfeit and pirated goods worldwide could reach $2.3 trillion by 2022.
These goods are a threat not only to our bottom-line and patient safety, but due to the inferior quality of these products, their poor performance can also lead to the erosion of consumer faith and goodwill.
In 2016, the Endodontics SBU took its first concerted steps to combat this ballooning problem.
A testament to true cross-functional collaboration, the Endodontics SBU has put into place a comprehensive procedure for identifying and addressing counterfeit goods – “Project F.I.R.E.” An acronym for Find, Identify, Report and Enforce, the F.I.R.E. method seeks to:
F.I.R.E combats the harsh reality that most fakes are manufactured in China, where local protectionism prevents effective legal remedies. Thus, F.I.R.E. is very much a siege strategy, attacking the channels of commerce (the internet and trade shows) and avenues of trade (local distributors and Customs’ houses).
To date, we have removed over $25 million in goods from online marketplaces, caused the removal of four different file models at IDS, and been awarded favorable judgements in several legal and regulatory proceedings.
In doing so we have learned that some avenues (suing a distributor and being awarded a seven-figure judgment, plus costs) provide greater returns than others (filing a regulatory action that resulted in an $80 fine). These are valuable learning experiences, which help us to decide when, where and how to distribute our resources as we take back what’s ours across the globe.
It’s important to note that we cannot combat the global counterfeiting problem in isolation.
Each of us plays an important role in the fight against counterfeit endodontic goods, and we look forward to partnering with you in this important effort.
Report an issue
Should you identify potential issues or want to report questionable activity, please forward the information to counterfeit@dentsplysirona.com.