Wendy Williamson, Chief Executive of the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) Chief Executive, has highlighted the organisation’s fight against fake parts by attending Counterfeit Awareness 2019 a conference aimed at stemming the tide of counterfeit goods.

The event was promoted by MoD Counterfeit Avoidance Working Group and was attended by over 200 people, with the focus very much on counterfeit avoidance within the supply chain, quality and standards and dealing with the fallout when parts enter the legitimate supply chain.

Wendy Williamson delivered a joint presentation with Helen Barnham from the UK Intellectual Property Office on Counterfeit in the automotive aftermarket – Safety risks and challenges, which was well received by delegates. She gave an overview of the IAAF’s activity over the last 12 months in support of the IPO’s campaign, as well as demonstrating a number of examples of counterfeit parts from across the automotive sector and the potential issues they can cause.

The audience also got to hear how much of a widespread problem counterfeit parts are and how the issue is not just restricted to products such as braking, lighting, bearings and spark plugs. The increasing difficulty in identifying fake parts was also highlighted with three key factors stressed when buying product: quality, traceability and accountability.