Be Aware of Counterfeit Canon Products!

While it is true that I like to save money, there are items that I just don't want to take the chance on, for fear of being hurt myself, or even catching fire.  I say this, because no one could tell us how our house fire happened.  Their "best guess" was that something that was plugged in caught fire.  I honestly didn't know that camera batteries were high on a counterfeit list, so I can't be certain that I didn't have a counterfeit item myself.  

Canon News just released this press release in an effort to bring you the consumer more awareness.

CANON U.S.A. RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT COUNTERFEIT ACCESSORIES FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS AND CAMCORDERS AND PROMOTES CONSUMER SAFETY

NEW YORK, January 15, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has rolled out a consumer-safety initiative that will promote awareness of a consumer electronics industry-wide issue: the risks of using counterfeit accessories for digital cameras and camcorders, especially batteries and chargers.  Counterfeit products are fake replicas of the real products, designed to take advantage of the superior value of the real product. These fake accessories are produced in a manner that is increasingly more difficult for average consumers to identify. Purchase of these products can lead to potentially dangerous results.  Unlike genuine Canon products, counterfeit accessories may not meet government and industry safety standards and may overheat, smoke, melt, ignite and may cause bodily injury and property damage. 

In support of this initiative, a digital campaign, with the tagline, “Play it safe.  Power your Canon with Canon Power” was launched on January 8, advising consumers to avoid counterfeits by purchasing products through established retail channels.  In addition, the Canon USA Website has been enlisted to educate consumers on the Canon batteries and chargers most frequently counterfeited and to provide helpful tips to spot them.

“Canon takes safety seriously and, as good corporate citizens, we want to inform and educate so that consumers are aware of the risks counterfeit products pose,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A. “We will be rolling out an initiative over the next few months, encouraging consumers to help play it safe with genuine Canon power when making an investment in a camera or camcorder and its accessories, so that they may continue to enjoy the quality experience they expect from us.”

For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com/aboutcounterfeits.

They also have sample images of what some counterfeit items may look like.