COG helps minimise counterfeit component risk

Presented in a light format, The Counterfeit Electronic Components Minefield, combines a historical perspective on counterfeiting and intellectual property theft, including government statistics from the US, Europe and Asia, and outlines the ways in which electronic components are counterfeited and distributed.

The booklet includes case studies and photographs of both genuine and counterfeit parts as well as offering practical advice on best-practice purchasing strategies, and a range of authentication procedures.

'Counterfeiting activity ranges from the simple remarking of commodity devices right up to the sophisticated and deliberate reprogramming of complex products to subvert military equipment,' said Tim Elliott, COG chairman.

'Companies who ignore counterfeits, ignore the huge potential for significant financial liability, and loss of reputation, if counterfeits penetrate to the production line.' The author of The Counterfeit Electronic Components Minefield, Charles Battersby, has drawn on the considerable knowledge and expertise of members of the COG to provide an industry-wide assessment of the true impact of counterfeit electronic components at all levels of the supply chain.

This is the 10th in a series of guidance notes published by COG since 2003.

Each booklet is written by industry experts and is suitable for all levels of experience, and provides an insight into one aspect of obsolescence management: obsolescence strategy and process development; long-term storage; managing the supply chain; managing redundant stock; emulation and substitution; hardware design; and software obsolescence issues.