UL is the abbreviation of Underwriters Laboratories Inc., which is one of the world's largest private institutions engaged in safety testing and identification. In the course of more than 100 years of development, it has formed a strict organizational management system, standard development and product certification procedures. It is an independent, non-profit, professional organization that conducts experiments on public security. It uses scientific methods to study and determine whether various materials, devices, products, equipment, buildings, etc. are harmful to life and property; it determines, compiles and issues corresponding standards and information that help reduce and prevent losses to life and property. . At the same time, it carries out research business, product safety certification and business safety certification business. Its ultimate goal is to provide the market with products with a considerable safety level.
UL, as an independent third-party inspection agency, also has unique members. It is composed of representatives from safety experts, government officials, consumers, education, public utilities, insurance industry and standards departments. managed by a governing board. UL's business scope covers more than 70 countries and regions, and it conducts 77,000 product inspection tasks of 16,500 types every year. At the same time, there are 480,000 factory inspection tasks every year. There are more than 400 employees, more than 40,000 customers around the world, and 9 billion products use UL safety marks. UL is headquartered in Chicago, USA, with 5 main laboratories and two laboratories in Asia: Hong Kong and Taipei.
UL mark authenticity identification
As an obvious feature of UL products, all UL products must have UL's listing, approval or classification mark. Classification marks are rare in our country, and the vast majority are listed and approved products. Listing and accreditation mark include L-type listing and accreditation mark and R-type listing and accreditation mark. The Class L listing mark is printed (in label form) and issued by UL in the United States. Its control is generally strict. The logo is mainly divided into four parts:
·UL's registered pattern.
·The word "LISTED" is in all capital letters.
·UL’s (control number) ISSUE NO XXXXX.
·The name of the product.
There may be some other flags, but the above 4 are the most basic. Unlike Class L, the Class R listing mark can be directly marked on the product by the factory in the form of color printing, labeling, molding, stamping, etc. (Labels for Class L products must be purchased from UL).
The L-type recognition mark is also printed and issued by UL in the United States and mainly consists of three parts. The L type approval mark is only used on wires and their components. Its components are divided into:
----Approval mark pattern
----Control number Issue No
----Product name
p>The approval mark of R-type products can be identified from the "product mark" specified in the "Approved Parts Catalog". Generally includes the factory identification symbol, type number or approved product model. The approval mark for R-category products does not necessarily need to appear on the product.
Characteristics of counterfeit UL marks As an obvious feature of UL products, all UL products must have UL's listing, approval or classification mark. Classification marks are rare in our country, and the vast majority are listed and approved products. Listing and accreditation mark include L-type listing and accreditation mark and R-type listing and accreditation mark. The Class L listing mark is printed (in label form) and issued by UL in the United States. Its control is generally strict. The logo is mainly divided into four parts:
·UL's registered pattern.
·The word "LISTED" is in all capital letters.
·UL’s (control number) ISSUE NO XXXXX.
·The name of the product.
There may be some other flags, but the above 4 are the most basic. Unlike Class L, the Class R listing mark can be directly marked on the product by the factory in the form of color printing, labeling, molding, stamping, etc. (Labels for Class L products must be purchased from UL).
The L-type recognition mark is also printed and issued by UL in the United States and mainly consists of three parts. The L type approval mark is only used on wires and their components. Its components are divided into:
----Approval mark pattern
----Control number Issue No
----Product name
p>The approval mark of R-type products can be identified from the "product mark" specified in the "Approved Parts Catalog". Generally includes the factory identification symbol, type number or approved product model. The approval mark for R-category products does not necessarily need to appear on the product.
Three procedures for applying for the UL mark
·The four basic parts of the UL mark for listed products are incomplete. That is, the UL pattern, the word "LISTED", the UL control number, and the product name are incomplete, or the markings are inaccurate.
For example, the letters U and L in the UL registered pattern are on the same horizontal line, and the words on the label are typed out with a typewriter rather than printed or stamped; the word "LISTED" is not all in capital letters, such as " Listed", etc.; UL control number does not consist of English letters or numbers, such as all numbers or all English, or more than 4 digits, etc.; the full name of UL company (Underwrites Laboratories Inc.) lacks letters, etc.; UL listed name The symbols are printed in an oval shape.
·The printing is rough, the handwriting is blurred, and it is offset to one side.
·The label’s packaging method is inconsistent with UL’s true label. UL labels with adhesive backing are generally rolled into a bundle, with 500 sheets in a round stick shape, and 1,000 labels without adhesive backing (used on some wires) in strip form, with 10 sheets in each strip. The counterfeit UL labels are packed in sheets, usually 20 to 60 sheets per sheet, with yellow glossy paper as the backing.
·For labels of the same product from the same factory, there is a certain range of control numbers, but there is no limit to the number of some fake UL labels.
The Chinese government severely cracks down on counterfeiting activities
Five departments jointly issued a document to launch a six-month anti-counterfeiting campaign across the country
Recently, the State Intellectual Property Office, Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation The five departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the State Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau jointly issued a document calling for a nationwide special campaign to combat counterfeiting of the U.S. Underwriters Laboratories Certificate (UL) mark. The event lasted for six months from February 1 to July 31, 2000, and was intended to create a good environment for my country's export of mechanical and electrical products.
UL Underwriters Laboratories was established in 1894 and is mainly engaged in public safety inspections of electrical, electronic equipment, mechanical products, lamps, building materials, fire protection equipment and chemicals. The UL mark is a recognized safety certification mark in the United States and North America. Products bearing this mark are equivalent to obtaining a safety and quality credit card, and its credibility has been accepted by consumers. Therefore, the UL mark has become a special passport for related products (especially electromechanical products) to enter the US and North American markets.
Due to the special function of the UL mark, there are some unscrupulous businessmen in various countries around the world who are counterfeiting the UL mark for their own benefit. Our country is no exception. With the continuous development of our country's foreign trade, while the export volume of mechanical and electrical products has increased significantly, some lawless people have begun to take desperate risks. U.S. Customs statistics from February 1992 to February 1998 show that U.S. Customs detained 200 containers of goods with counterfeit UL marks in one year, some of which were products from China.
Counterfeiting brings trouble to Chinese companies: spend money to buy anti-counterfeiting signs; increase customs clearance time
Currently, more than 4,000 companies in our country have registered through UL, and their products are of high quality and low price , deeply trusted by consumers, adding luster to "Made in China", promoting my country's foreign trade exports, and earning a large amount of foreign exchange for the country. The practices of a very small number of illegal businessmen have brought huge losses to these legitimate enterprises. According to experts, due to the discovery that Chinese products were suspected of counterfeiting the UL mark, the U.S. UL company has made it mandatory for manufacturers of 15 categories of mechanical and electrical products that already have UL approval in my country to use the UL laser mark. Specifically, as a legal Chinese UL factory, as long as the UL products you produce fall within the scope of the 15 product categories, even if the products pass the UL inspection requirements, if you want to export them with the UL mark, you must use it again to the United States. The UL laser anti-counterfeiting labels purchased from the UL Label Center will be considered counterfeit otherwise. This undoubtedly adds an additional financial burden to these legal UL product manufacturers. In addition, UL and the U.S. Customs have strengthened inspections of Chinese products and UL products, which has increased the customs clearance time for Chinese products and may even lead to delayed supply. All of these will affect the information of my country's export products
Reputation.
The Chinese government will not be lenient in combating counterfeiting and will carry out work from five aspects
The anti-counterfeiting activities against counterfeit UL marks will be carried out mainly from five aspects.
·Use a trademark that is identical or similar to the UL registered trademark without authorization on the same or similar goods.
·Selling goods that you know or should know to infringe UL’s exclusive rights to registered trademarks.
·Intentionally providing convenient spare parts such as warehousing, transportation, mailing, concealment, etc. for infringement of UL's exclusive rights to registered trademarks.
·Other behaviors that cause damage to UL’s exclusive rights to registered trademarks
It is understood that any unauthorized use of the UL certification mark, infringement of UL’s exclusive rights to registered trademarks, and damage to the legitimate rights and interests of consumers will be punished. Once detected, any behavior will be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law. The customs will investigate and deal with the import and export goods of those who counterfeit the UL trademark in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Customs Protection of Intellectual Property Rights".
U.S. Customs will take the following measures to deal with the phenomenon of counterfeit UL: products confirmed to be counterfeit UL marks will be destroyed immediately; exporters detained for the first time will be fined twice the value of the goods; repeat offenders will be fined Increased penalties and criminal prosecution.