TecAlliance establishes industry solution in fight against counterfeit parts

Many consumers are unaware of the risks associated with ‘fake’ car parts when it comes to traffic safety

TecAlliance establishes industry solution in fight against counterfeit parts
Image: Bigstock.

Together with oneIDentity+, TecAlliance has established an industry solution in the fight against counterfeit products – an application that is also used in other markets.

“Although motorists want to save money and look for replacement parts themselves on the web and then ask their trusted workshops to install them, they are at risk of becoming the victims of fakes,” says Jürgen Buchert, managing director of TecAlliance GmbH.

To make the public more aware of the dangers of counterfeit vehicle spare parts, TecDoc Catalogue, the operator of the global vehicle and spare parts database is supporting the British initiative against international product piracy.

Under the title “think before you buy”, the British government has started an international awareness campaign together with car manufacturers, aftermarket players, industry associations and major online platforms.

International awareness campaign

In addition to consumer risks, the economic damage caused by counterfeit products is substantial.

The Intellectual Property Office of the European Union estimates that the EU market for tyres and batteries alone suffers an annual loss of more than two billion euros.

“We are proud to be part of this initiative, because fake parts are not just a problem for vehicle and parts manufacturers.

“The protection of the consumer and of intellectual property affects us all,” warns Dr. Daniel Dünnebacke,COO of oneIDentity+.

TecAlliance has been actively fighting product piracy for some time, and ten years ago, it introduced the Manufacturers Against Product Piracy (MAPP) Initiative.

Through MAPP, automotive suppliers of leading brands have now been working together closely for years.

To distinguish genuine from fake parts faster in the future, many participants of the MAPP initiative mark their original products with a data matrix barcode based on the coding recommendation worked out by the European parts manufacturer association CLEPA.

Two-dimensional MAPP code

With oneIDentity+, TecAlliance has developed an IT solution for the car spare parts market so that the unique MAPP code can be easily checked.

Within seconds, the user knows whether a replacement part is original and can access detailed information about the product.

oneIDentity+ is also responsible for the global management of the MAPP code.

The globally unique two-dimensional MAPP code, which is based on GS1 standards, has become an industry standard in the automotive aftermarket and clearly identifies each part from the factory.

The MAPP code is stored on the oneIDentity+ cloud platform.

The oneIDentity+ database already includes over 1.8 billion product codes.

From 90 countries around the world, the authenticity verification specialist receives more than 30,000 enquiries every month about products, machines and systems from a wide range of user groups including workshops, customs, service and logistics employees.

Besides TecAlliance, other members of the British government initiative include the vehicle manufacturers Audi and BMW, as well as the parts manufacturers NGK Spark Plugs, TMD Friction and Philips Automotive.

There are also industry associations including the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), the Independent Garage Association (IGA) and of course, MAPP.

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