The international packaging industry meets tomorrow’s trends. A great deal still remains to be done until the next interpack in 2011. Three main tasks – as became clear at interpack 2008 – will be the continued, relentless fight against product and brand piracy, the further development of “smart” packaging and the use of nano-technology. Product and brand piracy have come to be among the most serious forms of white-collar crime. They confront business and politicians with major problems because they have developed into a highly professional industry building on a global network. Experts estimate that approximately 10% of global trade is affected. The damage caused totals up to EUR 200 billion each year – and figures are rising. The spectrum of counterfeited products ranges from parts in original quality at lower prices without the “expensive” producer’s label to criminally forged products in a poor quality but distributed in “genuine” looking packaging. If such a part fails – e.g. a safety-critical machine or aircraft component – it will be just a matter of time before personal injury is caused. Just as precarious are counterfeit drugs – and of many consumables and appliances. Forged products pose a growing threat to consumers’ life and health. Product and brand protection therefore also become consumer protection. The immediate consequence of replacing originals with forged products is a loss of turnover and profits: not only is the fight against piracy by patent rights and the legal prosecution of their violators expensive but product and brand piracy also entails a lowering of the price level at the end of the day. Prices for original merchandise come under massive pressure on account of the noticeably lower prices of product copies. And if shoppers have gone through a bad experience with products of one brand then this also negatively impacts the original. The loss of image leads to a loss of market share in the medium term – and, hence, of sales, too. Add to this product liability issues if the original producer is forced to first prove that damages were caused by a copy rather than their product. Fighting Forgery More and more institutions, associations and enterprises are taking up the fight against product and brand piracy on a global scale. VDMA, the German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers’ Association, for example, initiated the “Pro Original” campaign in 2007. Its main aim is to raise awareness about the value of original technology. “Choose the Original – Choose Success” is the motto. Because “original” means quality, innovation, efficiency, experience and safety. The COPACO Group also flies its flag: at the INNOVATIONPARC PACKAGING at interpack 2008 it presented copy-proof packaging solutions under the heading “Innovation vs. Imitation – Concepts & Solutions”. In cooperation with the VDMA and Aktion Plagiarius e.V. plenty of helpful information was presented for protecting the supply chain against copy cats and brand pirates. In this endeavour Copaco focuses on solutions that affect the entire supply chain – from the manufacturer to the consumer. Alongside the classic [...]