The spindle bearings, spherical roller bearings, ball bearings and needle roller bearings scrapped during this operation are only part of the confiscated counterfeit products. The majority was disposed of locally under the supervision of the relevant national authorities.
The counterfeiting of rolling bearings and the distribution of these products are consistently pursued by Schaeffler worldwide and may lead to prosecution in some cases Not only is there the threat of claims under civil law for cease and desist orders, damages and the submission of counterfeit products for destruction. But also the threat of prosecution under criminal law in conjunction with a fine and/or imprisonment if necessary. The economic losses caused by counterfeit products are very difficult to estimate. In addition to lost sales proceeds and the damage to the company’s image due to low-quality goods, high costs are incurred for the investigation, confiscation and correct disposal of bearings.
Not only the companies that manufacture brand name products and conduct complex research, development and quality assurance are damaged, but also the companies who install counterfeit parts and their customers. A current case from Switzerland proves once again that significant damage can be caused by the failure of a rolling bearing when it is a safety-relevant part in machines and facilities. It became apparent due to a customer complaint by a Swiss company that a counterfeit cylindrical roller bearing was fitted during the repair of a machine. Hot running occurred after only six months, despite regular maintenance. This was noticed in good time by the customer, however, it still resulted in repair costs of around 17,000 euros, which exceeded the value of the bearing many times.
