Nokia adds anti-counterfeiting features to batteries

Add cellphone batteries to the list of products manufacturers are trying to brand more aggressively. Stung by an exploding growing market for counterfeit batteries, Nokia has announced that they will begin branding their batteries with a holographic logo and a hidden serial number that customers can verify either online or via a text message. (At least they're still letting consumers use third-party batteries, unlike NEC, which actually locks them out.) Low-quality aftermarket batteries have been blamed for calamities from poor power levels to exploding phones. But the real issue for companies like Nokia may just be that third-party batteries are a lot cheaper than branded ones.

[Chip Thomas @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

I think if you are paying $50 for a battery and it says Nokia on it then it's real. Do we really need holograms?

The upside I guess is shady companies will (all of the sudden) want to pay me to "recycle my depleted batteries."

[wol @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

they are already doing it in asia
here's the direct link, basically you could check whether its counterfeit or original by going here

http://nokia-asia.com/nokia/0,,60451,00.html

[Mark Rogo @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

The reason Nokia is doing this is not, as it turns out, greed. It's liability. Some of the counterfeits are even labeled to look like Nokias. Many of the fakes are dangerous enough that the phones have caught fire or exploded.

Nokia's legal time and product teams are trying to give them defenses because when the phone explodes, the victim can't well sue "Taiwan No Name Battery Co." so they sue Nokia.

[Matthew Flint @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

The hologram batteries are shipping in the UK - I bought a Nokia 6320 last week and a hologrammed battery was included in the pack.