There are many misconceptions in the marketplace around products manufactured in China.

These include the belief that these products are all of an inferior standard, are produced using cheaper materials and unscrupulous labour practices or are all fake in some respect. This is far from the truth, and a visit to the Nokia China manufacturing facility highlights the stringent quality tests that all genuine Nokia products produced in China undergo to ensure consumer satisfaction. These same processes and quality controls are replicated in all of Nokia’s nine manufacturing facilities across the globe, regardless of their location.

However, there is some truth to the stories on fake products and, indeed, many counterfeit phones are produced in China. A counterfeit phone is defined as an exact or indistinguishable replica of a genuine product and, as such, infringes upon the genuine product’s design and registered trademark. Counterfeiting is a global criminal activity that affects many successful consumer product companies in a wide range of industries and Nokia is no exception.

Wherever it exists, counterfeiting also damages local economies and negatively affects people with legitimate jobs in the supply chain.

The prevalence of counterfeit phones and accessories is growing globally and we see this trend also in the Southeast Asia Pacific region. There are a number of reasons for this including the enormous growth in the number of mobile phone users in the region, the feature rich devices desired by consumers even in the entry markets and the increased availability and range of fake devices in the market.

Nokia takes Intellectual Property Rights and the protection of its brand seriously and works across several fronts to protect these. The company’s efforts focus on the entire counterfeit supply chain from the point of manufacture, through the distribution channels, to the markets in which the products are sold.

Nokia globally has a dedicated team focused on brand protection and combating counterfeit by maintaining an international network of investigators and lawyers specializing in anti-counterfeiting efforts. Where necessary, Nokia will use the appropriate legal remedies against suspected counterfeiters or enablers in the distribution chain. We have received excellent support from the Chinese government and customs authorities to clamp down on counterfeit devices leaving China, but there is more work to be done in China and across the distribution hubs.

“Within the Southeast Asia Pacific region, Nokia has taken a very proactive approach to tackling the challenge of counterfeit products, says Benoit Nalin, General Manager, Nokia Philippines. “This approach targets government and government agencies, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers.”

In several countries, Nokia is working closely with customs officials on training and tools to help them more effectively identify counterfeit goods at the port of entry. We are also working with local organizations such as consumer protection bodies and anti-counterfeit collaborations to lend support to their efforts, as well as collaborating with other brand owners in country to form coalitions that are more effectively able to lobby the government on legislation that enables more severe penalties for crimes associated with counterfeiting.