SIA looks to combat counterfeit electronic components

The industry association says counterfeiting is a serious and growing problem.

By Purchasing Staff -- Purchasing, 6/5/2008 12:50:00 PM

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has released a directory of authorized distributors to help combat the growing problem of counterfeit components entering the supply chain.

The directory is part of a larger campaign that involves working with customs authorities to seize counterfeits at the borders and encouraging the authentication of legitimate products.

"Counterfeiting is a serious and growing problem in the worldwide electronics industry," says SIA President George Scalise. "Counterfeit products pose a significant risk to consumers as well as to the manufacturers of semiconductors and electronic products."

The SIA is also working with the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) on a standard to encourage the use of authentication service providers who offer "license plates" that can be attached to containers of chips to help alert buyers to potential counterfeits.

John Sullivan, chairman of the SIA anti-counterfeiting task force (ACTF) and director of worldwide security for Texas Instruments, says re-marked products are the most common counterfeit devices.

“These products often have false labels, damaged or missing die, and inferior packaging materials,” he says. The use of counterfeit products in systems such as computers and network systems can lead to costly failures. If such components find their way into aircraft, automotive, or medical equipment, failures can have tragic results, says Sullivan.

Also see: Distributors need a plan for counterfeit parts