Global Cooperation on IC Counterfeiting

For the first time, customs officials and semiconductor industry representatives from all the major chip producing regions have met up to discuss the problem of counterfeit ICs. The meeting took place last week in Korea.

The extent of the problem, the societal and economic risks and consequences of IC counterfeiting, descriptions of national enforcement procedures, current efforts to address the problem and possible 'tool kits' to contain the practice were all discussed by customs experts and officials from China, Taiwan, the Europe, Japan, Korea and the USA together with representatives of their respective industries and trade ministry officials.

"It is clear this is a global problem which is affecting all parts of the world in one form or the other", said Henk Molegraaf, the EU Head of Delegation from the Directorate for Taxation & Customs Union, "this was a significant first joint step to address the problem of semiconductor counterfeiting at a global level. I sense the willingness among all participants to follow-up with further steps."

The customs experts reaffirmed their commitment to protect and enforce intellectual property rights. They shared their experiences and best practices in their fight against counterfeit semiconductors, from both import and export customs control perspectives. Joint actions between governments and increasing joint government/industry co-operation were presented.

Topics discussed also included how to physically and electronically spot semiconductor counterfeits, anti-counterfeiting toolkits 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.

All participants agreed to undertake, as appropriate, enforcement measures (which can be national, bilateral or multilateral) against semiconductor counterfeiting, to keep other members informed and to report back on this to the 2011 GAMS (Governments/Authorities Meeting on Semiconductors) meeting.

Electronics Weekly, a sister publication of EM Asia