Fake electronics become e-commerce headache as counterfeits hit online market

Local brands are stepping up the fight against counterfeit electronics as more Filipinos shop online.

The fight against counterfeit products is taking on a bigger business dimension as more Filipinos turn to e-commerce for electronics and other consumer goods.

Cherry, formerly Cherry Mobile, is the latest brand to join the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) voluntary agreement with e-commerce players aimed at curbing counterfeit products online.

The move comes as Cherry expands beyond mobile phones into consumer electronics and Internet of Things products such as security cameras, lighting systems and smart appliances.

A lost sale is only part of the problem for legitimate brands.

A counterfeit product can also damage a company’s reputation when consumers mistake a fake for the real thing, while buyers may be left without the quality assurance, warranty or after-sales support that comes with an authentic product.

The problem becomes more complicated online, where consumers can encounter products from sellers they have never dealt with before and where genuine and counterfeit products can appear side by side.

IPOPHL said Cherry’s entry brings the number of signatories to its E-Commerce Memorandum of Understanding to 24.

The growing participation of brands points to a bigger industry concern: As e-commerce expands, protecting what is sold online is becoming part of protecting the brand itself.

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