Fight against counterfeit
All ICOM radios are made in Japan
ICOM has its own manufacturing facilities located in Japan only and no factories outside Japan.
The only ICOM products that might be produced outside the factories in Japan are certain accessories produced by ICOM approved manufacturers such as batteries, chargers, microphones and other items.
You can rely on durable and high performance operation for a long time without having to frequently replace your radios!
ICOM radios marked " Made in China" or made in another country are 100% fake.
Genuine vs Counterfeit
Although the prices of counterfeit products are less than genuine products, counterfeit products have the following disadvantages and risks compared to genuine Icom products.
Normally counterfeit products are not type approved.
You might be penalized or your products can be confiscated under your country´s law.
- No support from Icom as the products are not Icom products.
- Much shorter product life (You need to replace the radios more often).
- Shorter communication range (Which means your voice may not reach as far as you expected).
- Lower sensitivity (Which means you may not hear a signal).
- Shorter battery life (Which means you must change or recharge your battery often).
- Risk of leakage, fire or explosion of the battery.
- Not as rugged as a genuine Icom radio. It may easily break if you drop it.
- Lower performance at high or low temperatures or in severe environments.
- The display has a narrower viewing angle (Which means the characters on the display are vague).
Normally counterfeit products are not type approved.
You might be penalized or your products can be confiscated under your country´s law.
What is the Icom policy regarding counterfeit products and their suppliers
If you suspect that you have been offered or sold counterfeit Icom products, we ask that you contact your local distributor in your country immediately. You can find our authorized distributor at the following web site. They can also introduce reliable suppliers close to your location.
Example for France: contact ICOM France
Example for France: contact ICOM France
How to distinguish genuine Icom radios from counterfeit (fake) radios
The "3D GENUINE Icom label" is attached to the models shown below since October, 2013.
This label enables you to distinguish genuine Icom products from counterfeit (fake) products.
This label enables you to distinguish genuine Icom products from counterfeit (fake) products.
- If the label is not attached to the product when you purchased it, the product is probably counterfeit.
- If the radio does not have the label, contact your dealer or distributor and exchange it for a radio with the proper label.
Since July 2018, to strengthen the fight against counterfeiting, ICOM has set up a new latest generation 3D hologram on the back of the following devices:
IC-V80E, IC-G80, IC-U80L, IC-V88, IC-G88, IC-U88, IC-718, IC-2300H, IC-2730A/E, IC-F1100D/DS/DT, IC-F2100D/DS/DT, IC-F1000/S/T, IC-F2000/S/T, IC-41PRO, IC-F16, IC-F26, IC-F1000D, IC-F2000D, IC-F29SR/SR2, IC-F29DR/DR2, IC-M23/M24, IC-M25/EURO, IC-M200, IC-80FX, IC-50FX.
Features of the new ICOM holographic label
The new hologram sticker features an ICOM logo that can be recognizable by:
- Can be rotated vertically
- Colors appear alternately in green on a black background and in black on a green background
- The 4 corners turn orange when the viewing angle is tilted horizontally (see picture on the right).
- Images appear brighter in direct sunlight or direct light. The absence of image variation suggests that the product is a counterfeit (fake).
How to find the genuine hologram label?
Three types of counterfeit (fake) Icom products
| Type I Copies of currently produced models |
(Example) IC-V80(-T), IC-V80E, IC-V88, IC-U88, IC-M200, IC-2300H(-T), IC-718 |
|---|---|
| Type II Copies of discontinued models (No production/inventory) |
(Example) IC-V80, IC-U80, IC-V85, IC-V82, IC-M304, IC-2200H |
| Type III Non-ICOM models but with an Icom logo |
(Example) Non-ICOM model IC-V87, IC-V89, IC-UV91 |
