@al.caughey, Counterfeiters know stopping them won't be easy and they also know sometime the "good folks" may not even try. Nothing is easy in the world of electronics. That doesn't stop us from wishing they were, though.
Thanks for the post Bruce. Counterfeiting leads to dangerous results. If we lost the control over the quality of products they may die in days where they expected to live for years. It is very difficult for customers to trust companies and it is very bad for companies to do business.
"Now that the government is on it, it doesn't mean everyone else can relax." All too true. The fact is, while the government does position itself as the guardian of American innovation, it hasn't gotten serious about chips until it became a problem for the DOD. I don't mean to be overly cynical, but the governmetn has been far more worried about music and software piracy than it has been about chips for as long as I can remember. Maybe it is becuase the electroncis supply chian doesn't lobby as hard (or with as much $$$) as the gaming and music and movie industry. The industry has largely been left on its own unitl now, and we can only hope this prosecution becomes the rule rtaher than the excpetion.
it's true that counterfeiters have a way of always being one step ahead. Well i guess its up to the suppliers and customers to work things out to save themselves.
i think the VLSI ID, at Backorder mentioned or any other method that will provided a hard to fault chip authentication mechanism will really go a long way, especially for very sensitive chips.
The bigger issue is that there is a conflict of value systems going on here. Many schools go out of their way to avoid promoting any one value system. The result is the chaos that you now see in the market place, and the rise of destructive behavior, which is operating without inhibition.
Counterfeit goods are dangerous by their very nature, they are not produced under safe manufacturing condition and they are not inspected by any regulatory authorities. Therefore it is difficult for consumers to know what materials the goods actual contain.
Counterfeiting has been around for nearly as long as hunans have traded things of value. It is now a growing problem for many industries, but policies and procedures on supplies selection can give opportunities to significantly reduce the risk.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
To save this item to your list of favorite EBN content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
