HP helps protect you from fake printing supplies
Learn how to spot fakes and what to do in case of a suspicion
Not sure if you have an Original HP or Samsung cartridge?
Validate using the ink or toner security labels.
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Ink
Ink
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Toner
Toner
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Long Life Consumables
Long Life Consumables
Check the labels holographic features:
Tilt the box front to back to see the 
or “OK” and the “√” move in the OPPOSITE directions.
Tilt the box left to right to see the or “OK” and the “√” move in the SAME directions.
The label in the far left represents the latest version of the HP security label. The other labels are former versions of HP’s
security label, which may still be valid in some markets.
Check the labels holographic features:
Tilt the box front to back to see the or “OK” and the “√” move in the OPPOSITE directions.
Tilt the box left to right to see the or “OK” and the “√” move in the SAME directions.
The label in the far left represents the latest version of the HP security label. The other labels are former versions of HP’s
security label, which may still be valid in some markets.
Check the labels holographic features:
Tilt the box front to back to see the or “OK” and the “√” move in the OPPOSITE directions.
Tilt the box left to right to see the or “OK” and the “√” move in the SAME directions.
The label in the far left represents the latest version of the HP security label. The other labels are former versions of HP’s
security label, which may still be valid in some markets.
Other validation methods
Validate via QR code
Simply scan the label’s QR code
with your smartphone
to validate your product.
Request for a Customer Delivery Inspection (CDI)
For mid- to large-sized deliveries of HP printing supplies, customers can
request a free on-site check.
Eligibility to submit for On-site check: more than 50 cartridges.
If you have cartridges less than 50, please validate online.
Why should you care?
Counterfeit cartridges may seem like a true alternative. However, they entail serious risks
and threats.
Fakes threaten
Fakes threaten
Make sure it’s Original HP cartridges
Quality
Precision output, page after page6
Sustainability
Designed with the planet in mind
Indoor air quality
Meets eco-label emission criteria3
Security
Engineered for security
Frequently asked questions
What constitutes a counterfeit product?
A counterfeit or fake good is a product made to look exactly like another original product; this is typically achieved by applying or using trademarks and packaging design of the original product, thereby infringing the trademark of that product. Counterfeit products are meant to deceive customers into believing they are buying genuine goods, usually at what appears to be a great discount. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product.
Dealing in counterfeits is illegal and prohibited in most countries, including but not limited to the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland (CH).10
Counterfeiting of printing supplies generally occurs when a non-HP original cartridge (i.e. a refilled, remanufactured, or cloned cartridge) for an HP printer is marketed in an unauthorised HP-branded box imitating genuine HP packaging. Consumers purchase what they often assume to be legitimate original HP products – and instead receive fakes of inferior quality or which often are malfunctioning, e.g. cartridges that fail prematurely or that damage printers.
Why should I care about counterfeit cartridges?
Although counterfeit cartridges may look like genuine HP cartridges, they do not provide the high print quality, reliability, and yields that customers have come to expect from original HP products.
Instead, using counterfeit cartridges can entail significant risks. These risks can include substandard print quality, reduced page yields, cartridges which fail prematurely or do not work at all, and even damaged printers due to leaking ink or toner, potentially meaning repair or service costs and interrupted workflows.
A recent study11 by the Organisation for European Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shows that international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods represents up to 3.3% of world trade, or as much as USD 509 billion. In the European Union (EU), counterfeit and pirated goods amount to up to 6.8% of imports or as much as EUR 121 billion. The report also notes that counterfeiting causes revenue losses for companies, leading to direct and indirect job losses, and government revenue losses.
What is the difference between counterfeit, grey market, and refilled/remanufactured cartridges?
Please do not confuse counterfeit, grey market, and legitimate refilled or remanufactured products.
Grey marketing, also known as parallel imports, refers to the importation, without authorisation from HP as the brand owner, of HP branded products into the European Economic Area (EEA)1 and Switzerland (CH). Grey marketing is a trademark infringement in the EEA and Switzerland. For clarity, cross-border sales of legitimate HP products within the EEA and CH are not considered grey marketing. Grey marketing can entail several risks for traders and customers; additionally, it can serve to mask further fraudulent dealings such as counterfeiting or tax fraud.
Refilling and remanufacturing of cartridges are generally considered legitimate business provided that products are clearly presented as such. An example of a legitimate refilled cartridge is if the product clearly states “refilled“, does not misuse the HP logo but uses the refiller’s company name or brand, and generally does not misuse the design, name etc. of an original HP cartridge. Please note, however, that packaging or selling such products in a way that confuses customers into believing that they are buying a brand-new genuine HP cartridge, or a product that is associated with or endorsed by but not manufactured by HP, or in case a product is using HP’s intellectual property without HP’s consent, this might constitute an infringement of HP intellectual property rights and/or consumer protection laws, such as misleading advertising or unfair commercial practices laws.12
How do customers know they might be using a counterfeit cartridge?
HP has very high quality standards for all its products, including printing supplies. Generally, original HP printing supplies are delivered in unopened, high-quality packaging. Among others, the following indicators might point to a counterfeit cartridge: the HP security label on the cartridge box does not exhibit the correct features; the cartridge is delivered in packaging that appears to have been tampered with, that is of poor quality, or that deviates from HP’s packaging; the print quality of the cartridge is poor or it fails completely.
Customers can find detailed guidance on how to spot suspicious products and how to purchase safely in the download section of this website. In addition, they can request a free on-site Customer Delivery Inspection (CDI) for large or mid-sized deliveries of HP cartridges in case they suspect counterfeiting.
What is HP doing to ensure that its channel partners are distributing genuine goods?
HP takes various measures in order to ensure that HP Channel Partners are a reliable place to purchase. For example, HP systematically audits its partners to make sure their stocks are clean of counterfeits (‘Channel Partner Protection Audits’). In addition, HP educates its channel partners on how to protect themselves and their customers from counterfeiting, e.g. by informing them about how to detect suspicious printing supplies products and by updating them on current anti-counterfeiting developments.
To inform yourself further about counterfeiting, you may find the following links and documents useful:
Downloads
Links and Videos
Counterfeit: Don’t buy into organized crime (UNODC)
Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP)
Imaging Consumables Coalition of Europe, Middle East and Africa (ICCE)
Video | HP fights counterfeit printing supplies
Video | HP tips for purchasing safely
Video | HP Customer Delivery Inspections (CDIs)
Video | HP Channel Partner Protections Audits
Disclaimers
- 2020 EMEA Escalent survey commissioned by HP. Results based on 246 interviews in 26 countries with HP ServiceOne Partners who have at least 6 months experience and have serviced HP LaserJet printers with both HP Original and non-HP toner cartridges in the past 12 months. Non-HP cartridges include remanufactured, refilled and new-build imitation cartridges See www.escalent.co/hp/EMEA-Technician2020.pdf
- Nov 2019 WKI Blue Angel Indoor Air Quality study, commissioned by HP, in compliance with DE-UZ 205: 21 imitation and five remanufactured toner cartridge brands compatible with HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw (CF410A, 411A, 412A, 413A) purchased in EMEA, LA, and NA regions. See hp.com/go/IAQnonhpWKI2019
- An HP printing system consists of HP printer, HP paper and Original HP supply. Blue Angel DE-UZ 205 emissions criteria or earlier versions applicable when printing system launched.
- 2019 EMEA Four Elements Consulting LCA study, commissioned by HP, compared Original HP 55A and 26A monochrome toner cartridges with a sample of imitation alternatives across eight environmental impact categories. See http://www.hp.com/go/EMEA-LJLCA-NBC-2019. The LCA leverages a 2019 SpencerLab study, commissioned by HP, comparing Original HP LaserJet toner cartridges with two brands of imitation toner cartridges sold in EMEA. See www.spencerlab.com/reports/HPReliability-EMEA-NBC2019.pdf
- InfoTrends 2020 EMEA Supplies Recycling study, commissioned by HP and based on average results of interviews with 20 remanufacturers and NBC resellers in 12 countries. See www.hp.com/go/EMEA-2020InfoTrends
- 2019 EMEA SpencerLab Colour Reliability study, commissioned by HP, compared Original HP color LaserJet cartridges with six brands of non-HP cartridges, including remanufactured, refilled and new-build imitation cartridges, sold in Europe, Middle East, and Africa. For details, see www.spencerlab.com/reports/HP-CLR-Reliability-EMEA-2019.pdf. The 2019 SpencerLab Monochrome Reliability study, commissioned by HP, compared Original HP cartridges with 12 brands of non-HP cartridges, including remanufactured, refilled and new-build imitation cartridges, sold in Europe, Middle East and Africa. See www.spencerlab.com/reports/HPReliability-EMEA-2019.pdf
- Program availability varies. See hp.com/recycle.
- HP office-class printing systems are select Enterprise and Managed devices with FutureSmart firmware 4.5 and up, Pro devices, LaserJet models 200 and up, with respective Original HP Toner, PageWide and Ink Cartridges. Does not include HP integrated printhead cartridges. Digital supply-chain tracking, hardware and packaging security features vary locally by SKU. See hp.com/go/SuppliesThatProtect and hp.com/go/SuppliesSecurityClaims.
- The European Economic Area includes the Member States of the European Union (europa.eu/ european-union/about-eu/countries_en) and Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
- OECD/EUIPO (2019), Trends in Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods, Illicit Trade, OECD Publishing, Paris/European Union Intellectual Property Office.
- Depending on country/legislation.