Canon’s PSA Will ‘Protect’ You From Counterfeit Batteries

After Canon’s Play it Safe initiative to detect knock-offs of the company’s products, they’re back again with another PSA to help consumers avoid 3rd party batteries. This ‘ consumer-safety’ video is aimed at creating awareness about the increasing ersatz batteries in the name of the brand, now even more rampant due to online shopping.

In their initial initiative press release, they state that replicas may ‘overheat, smoke, melt, ignite and may cause bodily injury and property damage.’ While this certainly is a good scheme, is Canon taking the consternation a bit too far?

Canon’s simulation for a genuine and counterfeit battery

The video still states that one can use a 3rd party battery at their own risk but some features wouldn’t work. So maybe they might just be putting this PSA up for the viewer’s well-being.

But as an argument, a Youtube comment states that, “Next thing you know, they will tell you that Tokina, Sigma, Zeiss, and other lenses are dangerous counterfeits too. As in, dangerous to their margins.”

So we leave it to you to watch the video and decide whether this is an act of kindness or an act of enterprise. It’s probably both.