Counterfeit goods are an increasing problem everywhere. Its not just high value parts that are being counterfeit, in the contrary, piracy in components is increasing exponentially. They have become a significant problem that affect the whole electronics supply chain, down to the end product.

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Counterfeit electrical and electronic products and components can be dangerous because they often use cheap raw material. They are often also poorly assembled, and generally are not tested or certified. Electronic components from discarded electrical devices (e-waste) are equally dangerous because they generally don’t retain their original specifications and are presented to the market as a new product. The use of such recycled or pirated electronic components can result in the deterioration of whole products and systems. While counterfeit electrical and electronic products can be a nuisance when they result in the destruction of a household appliance or a home entertainment system, they can be a significant safety hazard, causing injuries and death in addition to substantial losses in property. They can have catastrophic consequences in aerospace where loss of performance or reliability is then generally fatal. The aerospace industry is closely working with the IEC to fight the piracy of electronic components.

Counterfeiting costs an estimated US$600 billion per year to the global

economy according to the International Chamber of Commerce. Counterfeit

products negatively impact the economies of both the countries in which they

are produced and those in which they are sold. They also negatively impact

manufacturer brands and can cause huge liability suits.

Product piracy impacts the economy of countries where the product is

manufactured and those where they are sold. The list includes loss of foreign

investment, taxes, jobs, as well as social cost due to injuries and death.

Counterfeiting rings are generally operated by large criminal organizations and

support organized crime.

There are a number of ways to protect trademarks, brands and products and reduce manufacturers liability with regard to counterfeit products. Those include registration in all countries where a product is sold, manufactured, licenced and distributed as well as technical protection measures. Another important tool is third party certification. This can provide independent verification of a manufacturer’s product or component and reduce liability in case of incidents.

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Regular market surveillance and inspection can help insure that shipped products are not counterfeit. The members of the IEC Conformity Assessment Systems can provide such services. Hundreds of Certification Bodies and Test Laboratories participate in the IEC CA Systems. For example IECQ, which is dedicated to the electronic industry, operates a Counterfeit Avoidance Programme for electronic components and assemblies.

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IECQ provides online immediate verification that helps spot fake merchandise. The Programme includes supply chain management and control mechanisms that support the quality assurance of electronic components. It provides certification of component suppliers, which eliminates the need for manufacturer auditing of those suppliers. This reduces inspection costs and ensures the fulfillment of consistent quality standards. IEC’s Electronic Component Supplier Assessment and Online Certificate System: http://www.iecq.org/certification/

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IECQ offers a number of quality assurance services to the electronics,

aeronautics and automotive industry. It supports compliance with hazardous

substances regulations.

The System will soon offer certification for LED components and products.

IEC and the IEC Conformity Assessment Systems are a reliable tool for the electronics industry to actively and successfully fight pirated components and products.

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