Prepress
Kodak Calls on Businesses and Industry to Join the Fight Against Counterfeiting
Tuesday 13. May 2008 - Winning the battle against counterfeiting demands the latest technologies and a unified front by brand owners around the world.
The widespread impact of counterfeiting requires the resources and strength of global corporations that understand how to confront the problem at every level, from educating and building awareness to implementing real solutions.
Kodak is working with major industry organizations and other corporations to develop strategies and solutions which aim to limit the threats of counterfeiting. To support these efforts, Kodak is promoting anticounterfeiting measures within the corporate, nonprofit, consumer and public policy arenas.
On May 13, Kodak and Microsoft will co-sponsor the 4th Annual Harpers Bazaar Anticounterfeiting Summit in New York. The Harpers Bazaar Anticounterfeiting Summit brings together leading intellectual property lawyers and corporate executives from major brands and companies to discuss and examine strategies for anticounterfeiting.
Jeffrey Hayzlett, Chief Business Development Officer, Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company, joins other key executives on the summits panel discussion to provide insight on how worldwide corporations can contribute to strengthening anticounterfeiting initiatives.
“It is an honor to work with Harpers Bazaar, Microsoft and other companies that want to stop counterfeiting,” said Hayzlett. “Counterfeiting is reaching unprecedented levels for companies and consumers. Kodak believes the best solution is a unified approach by brand owners to create a global response that makes it much harder for counterfeiters to knock off legitimate products.”
Kodak joins forces with other global brands to stop counterfeiting through active memberships in several trade associations and organizations devoted to the issue. Kodak recently joined the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition (IACC), the largest international nonprofit organization devoted to combating product counterfeiting and piracy. Kodak will provide use of its Jumbotron in New Yorks Times Square throughout the IACCs awareness campaign in July 2008 to stream headlines on anticounterfeiting.
“The success of the IACCs mission is dependent upon members like Kodak, whose expertise in intellectual property issues and anticounterfeiting solutions can certainly benefit other member companies, and the organization as a whole,” said Bob Barchiesi, President, IACC. “Kodaks participation will enhance our training and enforcement efforts, and promote awareness of the issue on a global scale. Were grateful for their support in our fight against pirates of intellectual property.”
As an active member of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, Kodak works with brand owners in the apparel and footwear industries to develop and support anticounterfeiting measures. The AAFA protects members brands and trademarks, developing innovative ideas that enable members products to legitimately compete in global markets. Kodak is a past sponsor of the organizations “Knock it Off!” Conference, aimed at educating the industry on anticounterfeiting measures.
Kodak also participates in a number of leading international forums to promote awareness at a global level, including the Union des Fabricants (UNIFAB), a French anticounterfeiting association. In 2007, Kodak hosted an exclusive luncheon for fashion and luxury goods media and customers in Milan, Italy.
Through its expertise in materials science and digital imaging, Kodak provides an extensive portfolio of products and services designed to help companies protect against the growing problem of counterfeiting and piracy. Kodaks security technologies are utilized to implement overt and covert features on products or packaging, such as digital watermarks, microprinting, optically variable inks and a variety of ultra covert markers.
Last year, KODAK Security Solutions launched the KODAK TRACELESS System for Anticounterfeiting to provide manufacturers and brand owners with a technology that affords an easy process for instantly and reliably authenticating products.
“Due to the magnitude of global counterfeiting, individual corporations cannot fight this problem alone,” said Steve Powell, General Manager and Director, Security Solutions, Kodaks Graphic Communications Group. “Creating strong relationships with other industry leaders, coupled with the implementation of a brand protection strategy can give brand owners the much needed resources and support to make progress toward solving this problem.”
Kodak has successfully implemented solutions for customers in the pharmaceutical, consumer electronics, cosmetics, fragrances, wine, apparel and other markets.