International law enforcement and market experts have established a close link between counterfeiting and other forms of criminal activities. It has been found that the counterfeiting business helps criminals to fuel other illegal activities and vice-versa. EUROPOL (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation) has even warned that counterfeiting is an increasingly attractive avenue for organized crime syndicates to diversify and increase their illicit businesses.

It has also been found that counterfeiters use similar routes and modus operandi to supply counterfeit goods as they do to smuggle drugs, firearms and human trafficking. Profits from other crimes and illicit activities also help in the production and distribution of counterfeit goods. Many reports from different countries have established the fact that profits from crimes like drug trafficking and other crimes were used to promote the business of counterfeiting and, similarly proceeds from the sale of duplicate goods were used to promote the criminal’s other illicit activities.

One of the main reasons why criminals choose counterfeiting over other criminal activities is due to its favourable ratio between potential profits and possible risks. According to Executive Director, UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) Yuri Fedotov, “In comparison to other crimes such as drug trafficking, the production and distribution of counterfeit goods present a low-risk/high-profit opportunity for criminals. Counterfeiting feeds money laundering activities and encourages corruption. There is also evidence of some involvement or overlap with drug trafficking and other serious crimes.”

As per trade, reports counterfeiting is now placed amongst the highest income sources for organized criminal activities. Counterfeiting or duplication also helps in money laundering by providing a platform through which criminal organization can invest the proceeds of their illicit activities. In a nutshell, organized crime syndicates use counterfeiting as a medium to optimize their other criminal activities.

With the easy availability of advanced technology, it has become quite normal for counterfeiters to make copies of the even most sophisticated of products. Today, counterfeiters not just imitate the product but also copy the packaging and branding of the company. This makes it quite challenging for the retailer and consumers to differentiate between original and fake products.

Counterfeiting today is an organized business usually run by big criminal organizations which involve a huge amount of funding and vast networking. However, with the development of anti-counterfeiting technology, it has become challenging for counterfeiters to duplicate products. Anti-counterfeiting technologies are broadly classified as overt, covert, forensic and digital. The most prominent among these are holographic and digital technologies which are currently being used in different industries.

Holostik is a pioneer in providing the best anti-counterfeiting solutions. The company has achieved many milestones in the anti-counterfeiting business. Holostik has emerged as a world leader in providing the best security holograms, security labels, holographic wide web films and many other products. Besides these, the company also provided digital anti-counterfeiting technologies which not just secures the product but also safeguards the supply chains.

Holostik believes that in today’s word different anti-counterfeiting technologies are not competing but are complementary to each other. Taking a cue from the same Holostik provides advanced and customised digital security holograms. These holograms encompass different features of holography along with QR code.

The USP of these holograms is its two-layered security which makes it impossible to breach by a counterfeiter. For example, if a forger copies the QR code then he won’t be able to copy the hologram due to its physical security features. Holostik firmly believes that the future of anti-counterfeiting technology lies in the amalgamation of different technologies. Moreover, the implementation of digital technologies also helps in monitoring and effectively managing the supply chains.

The local clothing industry is the second biggest supporter of the retail business after FMCG. It is valued around Rs 3 lakh crores. The popularity of global brands, changes in inclinations from non-branded to branded, a quickly developing economy and a substantial youthful purchaser base in has made India a profoundly lucrative market. The broad communications and web-based social networking infiltration, the young are getting to fashion conscious. This has opened uncommon doors for the retail showcase.

Market specialists say it is exceptionally hard to evaluate the extent of fake attire. There are numerous manufacturing plants situated at non-descript areas associated with fake items. A large number of them deliver duplicates of multinational brands as edges are high. The movement tricks shoppers as well as the state exchequer. As per insiders, Delhi is the centre of fake items as about 70% fake items start from the national capital.

It’s not a surprise that we usually see cheap grade apparels at different market locations and street shops. As per trade reports, apparels are the second most counterfeited products after footwear across the world. According to Global Brand Counterfeiting Report 2018, “The amount of total counterfeiting globally has reached to 1.2 Trillion USD.”

Apparels are one of most counterfeited products and counterfeiters have copied many famous and costly brands. It is usually difficult to recognise counterfeit apparels at one glance. Some of the best ways through which counterfeit apparels can be determined are its quality of the fabric, stitching, quality of packaging, discrepancies in tags and labels.

Counterfeit apparels can only be stopped with unified efforts of the manufacturers, retailers and consumers at large. Many big brands are using different anti-counterfeiting measures to prevent counterfeiting of their products. This will certainly help them in safeguarding their brand image and prevent further loss.

For the past few decades, there has been an unprecedented rise of counterfeit automotive parts in the automotive industry. The trend not just jeopardizes the health of the consumers but also brings down the growth of the manufacturers. Of late, authorities from across the world have seized huge amount of counterfeit automotive parts at different stages of the supply chain.

A large amount of such counterfeit automotive parts, confiscated by officials, are from China. In the last few years, the trade of counterfeit auto parts has jolted the automotive manufacturers across the world.

According to a report by FICCI on Illicit Trade, “The Indian auto component industry suffered a loss of INR10501 crores in 2014 due to grey market which increased from INR 9198 crores in 2012.”

Market experts cite various reasons behind the growth of counterfeiting in the automotive industry which include, ease of manufacturing, packaging and import of products, higher margins on the sale of counterfeit automotive parts, uninformed customers buying counterfeit automotive parts, availability of technology to copy products, lower cost of duplicate product and short replacement cycle of some products.

Due to the above-mentioned reasons there has been an exponential growth in counterfeiting of automotive parts and has deeply troubled the automotive industry, government and last but not least consumers. Let’s discuss these impacts in detail:

Impact on manufactures: Automotive manufacturers have to bear the brunt of counterfeiting. The sale of counterfeit automotive parts brings down the sale of genuine products drastically. Moreover, there is a loss to the image of the manufacturers due to faulty and poor-quality cheap products.

Impact on government: The Indian government lost INR 3113 crores in the year 2014 compared to INR 2726 crores in the year 2012. The government suffers a huge amount of losses due to evasion of taxes by forgers or counterfeiters.

Impact on consumers: Did you know that 20% of traffic accidents are caused by counterfeit automotive parts? The figure was revealed by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) a few years ago. So the most diabolic impact of counterfeit automotive parts is that it plays with the life of consumers.

Packaging plays an indispensable role in safeguarding and promoting the product. Marketing experts often consider packaging as the first communicator of the company. Of late, flexible packaging has gained immense popularity due to its durability and ease of transportation. Holographic wide web films hold an important place among the many flexible packaging products.

Due to the presence of holography, these wide web films play an important role as they offer protection from counterfeiting and tampering. These wide web films are available in different sizes and can include different holographic features. Holostik is a leading name in providing anti-counterfeiting solutions and provides the finest holographic wide web films to different industries. The anti-counterfeiting company uses the best raw materials to develop quality holographic wide web films.

Holographic wide web films are available in PET (polyethene terephthalate) (minimum thickness 12 microns) and BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) (minimum thickness 20 microns). The films are known for their self-adhesiveness, clarity, quality and shine. Special care has been taken by experts in making the product compatible with international standards and the latest market trends.

Some features of Holostik’s holographic wide web films are as follows:

Attractive looks with optimum clarity.
Shiny and glossy with high brightness & high gloss holographic effects.
Superior bonding strength heat resistant and waterproof.
Available in different colours and patterns, plain, light beam and patterns. Many designs are available for selection and customer’s designs.
Used for toiletries, tobacco, flexible packaging, printing, wine boxes, gift boxes, books, magazines, boxes, printed products and other paper products laminating. suitable for high-grade imitation and pseudo carton laminating.

There has been a rapid growth of counterfeiting or duplication in different industries across the world. From medicines to food items, consumer electronics to apparels, footwear to FMCG products and much more has been encircled by the menace of counterfeiting.

As per the Global Brand Counterfeiting Report 2018, the amount of total counterfeiting globally has reached to 1.2 Trillion USD in 2017 and is bound to reach 1.82 Trillion USD by the year 2020 which includes counterfeiting of all equipment/products from defence equipment’s to counterfeiting of watches.”

According to the report, “Losses incurred by Luxury Brands because of sale of counterfeiting through internet accounted for 30.3 Billion USD.” The above-stated figures present a grim picture of global business which is suffering from the pandemic called counterfeiting.

However, at the same time in order to protect their products and supply chains from counterfeiting, industries are using different kinds of anti-counterfeiting technologies. As per ISO 12931, all the anti-counterfeiting technologies can be categorized into overt, covert, forensic and digital.

Different types of anti-counterfeiting technologies are being used as per their requirements in different industries. The implementation of these technologies have reaped many benefits which in turn, popularized their application. According to a report by Markets and Markets, the Anti-Counterfeiting Packaging Market will reach a staggering $128.6 billion by 2019.

Here are the four important reasons which are responsible for the growth of anti-counterfeiting technologies.

These technologies significantly reduce the incidents related to counterfeiting, adulteration and tampering and thus help in saving company profits.
With the implementation of anti-counterfeiting technologies, brands can strengthen their image among consumers.
Anti-counterfeiting technologies not just helps in securing the products but, also helps in safeguarding and monitoring of the supply chains.
Anti-counterfeiting technologies also prevent IP infringement or violations.

Packaging is very important for the identification, promotion and safety of the product. Amongst the many packaging solutions, labels hold an important place. An effective label not just highlights the product’s information it also ensures the safety of the product against adulteration, tampering etc.

Over the years there have been many innovations in labelling in the packaging industry. A wide variety of labels have been developed according to different product and industry requirements. From Tyvek labels to anti-tamper labels, scratch labels to paper labels, fibre paper labels to in-mould labels and many more- a wide variety of labels are available in the market.

One of the most important aspects which innovators have tried to implement in the labels is that of security. Today, industries are using labels for not just showcasing product or brand information, but also for securing the product.

Holostik is a renowned name in the development and production of smart holographic security labels and has been serving a wide variety of industries across the world. These bespoke smart holographic security labels have digital features and holographic properties along with other printing security features which add multiple layers of security.

The digital features incorporated in these security labels include bar codes and QR codes for instant authentication. This helps the consumer or any other stakeholder of the supply chain for checking the genuineness of the product. No wonder these labels can include a large amount of information and thus save enormous printing costs. The bar codes and QR codes are also used to implement other functionalities of the supply chain like inventory management, loyalty management, track and trace among others.

Smart holographic security labels are an amalgamation of digital and physical technologies which together protect your product against possible counterfeiting, adulteration etc. A few decades back labels were just a marketing product to display product and brand information but now they have evolved drastically.

Lately, the Food Safety Department seized over 1000 Kg of counterfeit desi ghee from a market in Delhi. Besides the content, the forgers had copied the packaging, trademarks and logos of a popular desi ghee brand and were selling counterfeit in its name. However, the authorities caught the loopholes and seized a large number of fake desi ghee bottles.

Counterfeiting of packaged foods is not something new and there have been numerous incidents related to the same over the past years. From tea to common salt, butter to bread, edible oils to pickles, a large number of packaged eatables have been counterfeited and adulterated.

As per Allied Market Research, “Packaged Food Market size is expected to garner $3.03 trillion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period 2015 – 2020.” Due to such a massive growth of the packaged food industry, counterfeiters are trying their level best to sell packaged foods by copying the content and packaging of the product.

Counterfeit packaged food is not just harmful to the manufacturers but equally impacts the consumers. According to a paper published by Michigan State University, Global Counterfeit Food & Beverage Packaging: Impacts on Food Safety, “Counterfeit food threats are becoming more common as supply chains become more global and as imaging and manufacturing technology becomes more accessible.”

Counterfeiters refill the original product package, adulterate its contents and copy the labels, logos and other trademarks. In order to check tampering, adulteration and counterfeiting of the original products, manufacturers must use different kinds of anti-counterfeiting packaging technologies. These technologies not just accentuate the brand’s visibility but also secures the brand from duplication and other harmful activities.

Hot stamping is a revolutionary printing method which is environment-friendly, easy to implement, durable and can include a variety of colours and processes. The printing method has diversified, since its rise to popularity in the 19^th century. Post 70s, hot stamping became one of the most popular printing technologies used on plastic products. Once majorly used for only plastic products, hot stamping is now being used for electronic components, cosmetic items, automobile parts to name a few.

Hot stamping involves a process in which a part of the object is efficiently marked with the foil. The hot stamping foil can endure harsh conditions of nature like pressure, temperature, scratches etc. Now, let’s understand the process of hot stamping.

In a hot stamping machine, a die is mounted and heated.
The product which needs to be stamped is placed beneath the die.
A painted roll leaf carrier is inserted between the die and the product.
The die presses down through it.
The dry paint or foil is impressed onto the surface of the product.

The hot stamping process is easy to apply to the product and packaging. It is also economical, environment-friendly and secures the product from counterfeiting. Being one of the largest hot stamping foil manufacturers in India Holostik takes advantage of being the leader of the anti-counterfeiting industry in India. We are not only serving our clients in more than 14 different industries but also helping them to choose from different variants of HSF or hot stamping foil.

As per the law of nature, all living beings require energy, nutrients and a sustainable environment for their growth. Plants and trees are no different from the rest of living organisms and require all the above-mentioned essentials. Plants and trees have been cultivated by humans for centuries. Today, with the growth of agricultural technology which includes genetically modified seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and advanced farming equipment, the output of crops has grown manifolds.

According to Food Agriculture Organisation, “Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India, 70% of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82% of farmers being small and marginal. In 2017-18, total food grain production was estimated at 275 million tonnes.”

However, there has been an upscale growth of spurious agrochemicals and fake agro products which are ruining the overall crop yield badly. These fake products harm the harvest, the soil, environment and the economy of the country. One of the biggest reasons for the rise in counterfeiting of different agrochemicals is the huge demand for agrochemicals in different parts of India. As per FICCI, the Indian agrochemical industry will double in size to $8.1 billion by 2025.

Since spurious agrochemicals are cheap and easily available farmers purchase them on a large scale. Moreover, these chemicals are either ineffective or leave many side effects on the crops. According to industry experts, the formulations do work as pesticides but also leave traces of by-products that badly affect the soil and the environment.

A joint meeting of an FAO-WHO panel on pesticides management was informed of the increasing menace of counterfeit pesticides, estimated to be five per cent to seven per cent of the products in Europe and 20 per cent to 30 per cent of pesticides marketed in developing countries.

Besides being cheap there is a growing demand for spurious agrochemicals because many times farmers are not able to recognise between a genuine and a fake product. Moreover, loopholes in the supply chain also lead to the intrusion of fake products in the market.

Use of spurious agrochemicals is most rampant in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Use of counterfeit pesticides has spread across India in the agrarian parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.