Customs Officials Target Semiconductor Counterfeiting
October 5, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
Customs officials discussed at a September workshop in Korea the extent, risks and consequences of semiconductor counterfeiting; national enforcement procedures; current efforts to address the problem; and possible "toolkits" to contain counterfeiting.
The workshop was held in conjunction with the Governments/Authorities Meeting on Semiconductors (GAMS), and included customs experts and officials from China, Chinese Taipei, the European Union, Japan, Korea and the U.S.
Industry representatives and trade ministry officials also attended, according to the World Semiconductor Council (WSC).
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to protect and enforce intellectual property rights and shared their experiences and best practices from import and export customs control perspectives.
Joint actions between governments and government/industry cooperation activities were presented.
Topics discussed also included how to physically and electronically spot semiconductor counterfeits and the central role of customs.
All participants underlined the importance of having access to information from the semiconductor industry on products and processes to facilitate customs' identification of suspected counterfeit products.
They agreed to undertake, as appropriate, national, bilateral or multilateral enforcement measures against semiconductor counterfeiting and to report back on these activities to the 2011 GAMS meeting.
Counterfeiting Risks
Counterfeiting of semiconductors, according to the WSC, poses increased threats, not only in economic terms for companies, but also to critical infrastructure.
Semiconductors provide much of the enabling technology at the core of both professional and consumer products ranging from mobile phones and car-braking systems to medical devices and satellites.
Source: Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).