Canon launches awareness campaign about counterfeit accessories

Canon launched a safety initiative, aimed at informing users about the issues which may be caused by counterfeit accessories.

Digital imaging equipment can be very expensive. This is one of the reasons why some people choose to buy products from grey markets or unauthorized stores. The problem with this is that many products are fake or simply not up to the standard.

Buying fake cameras and accessories is something that photographers should avoid, so Canon has launched a campaign that wants to teach people about the dangers of counterfeit products.

The Japan-based company is thinking that photographers are taking big risks, when they should be focusing on their safety. On the long run, it may be more expensive to buy fake gear because it could lead to injuries or they could simply be a waste of money as the products will not meet the users’ demands.

It soon came to Canon’s attention that a lot of 3rd party retailers are selling counterfeit accessories that do not comply with government’s regulations and safety standards.

Potentially dangerous accessories

The US division of the digital imaging company has launched an awareness campaign, destined to inform users about the risks of using counterfeit accessories for their cameras and camcorders. Canon added that counterfeit products replicate original products, therefore it is very hard for the average consumers to tell the difference between them.

The company advised the users to validate products’ authenticity, since fake parts may lead to potentially dangerous situations. Counterfeit batteries and chargers could overheat, then melt or even ignite, meaning that camera users could withstand body injuries.

Counterfeit products may be cheap, but they do not meet the demands of the regulatory agencies, as they do not respect the correct power values. If a battery is not genuine, then it may explode and damage the products, rendering them unusable.

Play it safe

Canon launched a digital campaign called “Play it safe”. It invites consumers to use Canon products with Canon Power and to purchase the equipment through established retailers, in order to avoid buying counterfeited cameras, camcorders, charges, and batteries.

Canon’s executive vice president and general manager, Yuichi Ishizuka, said that the company will invest a lot of money into this campaign, which will be rolled out across the United States in the following months.

The Japan-based digital imaging company revealed all the information about the campaign on its website, where users can also learn where to buy genuine accessories in the US and how to tell the difference between a counterfeit and a genuine.