March 29, 2023- Hypertherm Associates, manufacturer of industrial cutting systemsand software, announced successful raids of two connected counterfeiting operations in the United Arab Emirates that lead to the seizure of hundreds of counterfeit Hypertherm HPR consumables.
Last year, the Hypertherm Associates Intellectual Property team started collaborating with a Dubai-based law firm to investigate counterfeit in United Arab Emirates. Quest Global General Trading FZE was the first competitor identified and then soon after, ATAD International General Trading LLC was identified as another counterfeit seller. Quest Global General Trading has been exceptionally active with importing, advertising, and selling counterfeit consumables and parts in the Middle East.
In both cases, after evaluating the consumable samples, it was confirmed that they were counterfeit. The IP team decided to pursue criminal action and plan for the raids with the support of the Dubai police. On February 1, the raid was conducted at Shams Al Amber (showroom of Quest Global) and on March 2, the second raid was against ATAD International General Trading LLC. HPR consumables were seized at both locations during the raids. During the seizure of the goods, the representative of ATAD admitted that they were purchasing counterfeit consumables from Quest Global Trading, the company that owns the showroom, Shams Al Amber.
After the investigation by the police, along with other supporting evidence, the cases are being transferred to the Public Prosecution for further inquiry and later to the Court for adjudication. It takes 8-18 months for a court judgement to be handed down in case of criminal cases.
“Hypertherm Associates devotes an enormous number of resources to bring innovative products and technologies to market and is committed to ensuring those products are protected,” said Brett Hansen, Hypertherm Associates’ Director of Intellectual Property. “This is done to not only protect our business, but to protect our customers who will not enjoy the performance characteristics of genuine products and greatly increase the risk of personal injury and permanent equipment damage by using fake product not manufactured to our exacting tolerances.”
To ensure you do not fall victim to counterfeiting, Hypertherm Associates recommends customers only buy product from approved and authorized distributors, and exercise caution when coming across abnormally low prices for “genuine” consumables and software. In addition, carefully check the appearance of consumables and packaging for discrepancies. Another warning sign is poor or inconsistent consumable performance compared to what you are used to. A list of the authorized distribution partners is available on the Hypertherm plasma website at https://www.hypertherm.com/where-to-buy/. If you suspect you are a victim and need help verifying whether your consumables are genuine, please visit www.hypertherm.com/reportcounterfeit.
