ITU moves on fake devices

The ITU will host talks in a bid to improve the global coordination in the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) as part of strategies to combat counterfeit and substandard ICT devices.

Discussions on ‚ÄòCombating counterfeit and substandard ICT devices’ will be held at ITU Headquarters in Geneva, 17-18 November 2014 to take stock of the global challenges posed by counterfeit and substandard ICT products and the role to be taken up by ITU in response. Leading experts representing industry, governments, regulatory authorities, international organizations and standards bodies will participate.

A focus of the event will be to examine the role of ICT innovations such as Big Data, Cloud Computing, Identity Management and the Internet of Things in tracing counterfeit goods and identifying their origins. A Call for Contributions open to the public is inviting input to this discussion until 3 November.

Consumers rely on brand names and international standards to provide an assurance of quality, and this assurance is relevant to consumers in developed and developing countries alike,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Tour√©. “Counterfeit and substandard ICT products demand international action. Such products raise the risk of network disruptions and interoperability challenges that result in poor quality of service, with potentially dire consequences in emergency situations. They also pose major risks to consumers’ health and safety and that of our environment, especially related to the disposal of e-waste from such products.

“Counterfeiting is a complex challenge in need of a dynamic response in the public interest,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. “ITU’s move to assist the global response to the counterfeiting challenge addressing the specificities of the ICT sector is a welcome development, to which WIPO is pleased to contribute.

Counterfeiting and non-conformance with international standards have motivated the initiation of a range of counteractive strategies at the international, regional and national level. By leveraging its public-private membership base and longstanding experience in the ICT industry, ITU hopes to bring greater clarity and coordination to the role that ICTs play in executing these strategies.

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