"HP has confiscated 818,000 counterfeit printer cartridges from outlets in the Middle East in the first quarter of 2009":

http://www.business24-7.ae/articles/2009/4/pages/15042009/04162009_4c79bcc2b0724e96a490ba5e574a3c5a.aspx

This constitutes roughly $20 million in counterfeit cartridges. Multiply it by 4 quarters and you get $80 million in seized cartridges, just for this region, for the year. Obviously, HP is a huge target for counterfeiters.

"HP is also auditing 50 per cent of its channel partners checking on counterfeit products. The counterfeit cartridges come from China and are also made in the Middle East. Ernest Azzam, Business Manager, laser and enterprise solutions at HP Middle East IPG, said: 'Counterfeit is happening not only at a cartridge level but also repacking of printer boxes. The reason it is so rampant in this region is the growth and sales have increased tremendously.'"

In other words, there is good news. New sales opportunities, new markets, and new competitors. The bad news is that, increasingly, the new competitors are counterfeiters.

Cheers,

Steve