United Kingdom 
Singapore 
AustraliaThis article was originally authored by The Mercedes-Benz Group and published on their official website dated 9th August 2022. SECQRD.COM does not claim the ownership of this article and is merely republishing the article for general public view in line with supporting the common mission to end counterfeit products globally. All IP and copyright of the content and images in this article belongs solely to Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
The global trade in counterfeit Mercedes-Benz products continues to increase. In 2021 alone, more than 1.86 million counterfeit products were seized in over 650 raids. This is a significant increase of around six per cent compared to the previous year, 2020.
Counterfeit products are not only illegal, they are also relevant to safety and can endanger the health of road users. That’s why Mercedes-Benz is taking rigorous action against such counterfeit products. The measures focus on components such as brake discs, wheels and body and steering parts. During the pandemic over the past two years, product pirates increasingly used online platforms and social media channels to offer counterfeit goods. It requires much more effort for brand protection experts to research the online trade in counterfeit products. Counterfeit goods can be placed on online platforms at very short notice and sold with the support of social media. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz has further expanded its strategic and operational measures against counterfeiting in online trading. The brand protection strategy comprises three pillars: Detect, attack and prevent. Our brand protection experts identify counterfeiters by checking suspicious offers on online platforms and social media or trade fairs worldwide.
"The counterfeiting industry has organised crime structures and often generates higher profits than drug trafficking. We are working closely with authorities around the world in order to curtail these structures and combat threats to road safety. The trading in counterfeit products on online platforms and social media is further increasing. Our brand protection experts have quickly adapted to the counterfeiting industry’s growing business model. In 2021, more than 126,000 counterfeit products were removed from online platforms." Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Integrity & Legal Affairs
Brand Protection is Customer Protection
It’s often hard to visually distinguish counterfeit products from genuine parts. However, blatant differences in quality and safety quickly become apparent on the test track and on the road. The quality of counterfeit products is usually poor and they do not meet the minimum legal requirements in terms of safety. Therefore, counterfeit products pose a significant risk to the health and safety of road users.
In many cases, organised counterfeiters have their goods produced under inhumane conditions with no regard for human rights, environmental standards and occupational safety. The global Mercedes-Benz Intellectual Property Enforcement team works closely with customs and law enforcement authorities. In addition, it regularly offers training events and information material for the preventive raising of awareness among different target groups.
Intellectual Property Enforcement
The Intellectual Property Enforcement unit has a global presence and works closely with both the Customs authorities and the law enforcement agencies. The brand protection strategy is based on the three pillars of “Detecting, Attacking and Preventing”. The brand protection experts inspect suspicious products on online platforms or at trade fairs around the world in order to track down counterfeiters. Typical alarm signals are a conspicuously low price, anomalies in product quality, or goods being sold by dubious online sources. The aim of the worldwide raids with local authorities is the large forgery networks and the dismantling of their production and distribution structures. Other measures include criminal proceedings, injunctions or actions for information and damages. The brand protection team cooperates closely with Customs and police also when it comes to prevention. In training sessions and with information materials, they raise awareness of the safety risks and help others to distinguish genuine parts from fakes. In so doing, the team is also contributing to sustainability – not only in terms of safety, but also with respect to human rights and environmental protection.
Mercedes-Benz reports regularly on its work against counterfeiters. An example of this is an interview with a brand protection expert, who tells how she and her team are combating product piracy: Brand protection at Mercedes-Benz. Customers and road users can also support the prevention of product counterfeiting in their daily lives and check unusual offers very carefully. Typical indicators of counterfeit products are an extremely low price, conspicuous product quality or sale via dubious online sources. It is often even possible to see from the product images or designations that the parts cannot be genuine, since Mercedes-Benz simply doesn’t manufacture such items.
Secqrd is an after-sales engagement tool tailored for products that are sold with a warranty. We connect merchants directly with buyers via e-warranty registration, enabling in-app communication, issue loyalty vouchers, data analytics and merchants can upsell 20+ addons to buyers after an initial sale.