#smartduino

I watched a documentary tonight titled Counterfeit Culture, which brought to light many issues I was previously unaware of.  While Counterfeit Culture covered a wide variety of topics, most shocking to me was the coverage and explanation of the counterfeit electronics components... It was an hour well spent and highly recommended to all.

As identified by the 2012 Senate investigations, 3/4 of the world's counterfeit goods come from one country, China; the proliferation of counterfeit and recycled chips in the military and aviation supply chains which in some cases led back to Shenzen, China is far greater than previously known.  

With over 3000 individual vendors in the Shenzen marketplace, many of them semiconductor chip traders; what looks like a new chip, unless you're an expert may be difficult to tell the difference from an authentic or cleaned up recycled or counterfeit component that has been repackaged to look new.

The rising concerns with this global issue have prompted the development of a dedicated agency in Canada, the EU is developing implementing increased measures to ensure consumer protection and there is currently legislation being worked on in the US.

The biggest question on my mind after watching this is; If counterfeit chips have proliferated military and aviation supply chains around the world, even with all the safety protocols they have in place - then how could they not be in low cost open source products being produced and marketed to unsuspecting buyers on the open market? Aside from verifying a large purchase order from the official suppliers, how do you know?

Given the controversy that began in November with the Kickstarter, Trademarks and Lies post by Arduino Founder Massimo Banzi in response to the smARtDUINO campaign launched on Kickstarter by Dimitri Albino which sparked a lively debate from the Open Source and Maker communities on various sites, blogs and forums across the web including the likes Wired.com, Makezine, Hack A Day; and the subsequent inconsistencies, misdirects and outright lies that have been documented on the backer comments page -  As a upper tier backer myself, with a vested interest in the integrity, performance and delivery of that campaign, I am slightly more than concerned after watching Counterfeit Culture.

I believe it is a fair concern, given it had not previously occurred to me this even existed... Everybody knows about the handbags and clothing... but semiconductors? brake pads? an entire IKEA store?!  I hope this will be addressed at some point and my concerns alleviated soon by the project creator considering he is based in Shenzen.

With the rising importance of crowd funding to the Maker and Open Source community, comprised of talented folks spending countless hours behind a soldering iron and notebook developing their prototypes.  It is a fair expectation, unless otherwise specified, that all components and semiconductors be new and official parts.

There are a significant number of issues with the current structure of crowd funding sites in terms of compliance and accountability.  As the market continues to grow, more and more issues are brought to the surface.

In an environment that largely goes unchecked by crowd funding site owners,  who receive a commission for:

Providing a marketing platform

Guidelines created to ensure a level playing field for creators/backers

Funding opportunity for emerging markets

It is imperative that the community hold not only project creators, but also the site owners accountable when they fail to deliver on their promise.  The fact is, with the current structure and lack of engagement on the backend; both unsuspecting backers and unaware creators are not being delivered what they were promised... A level playing field secured by positive intent.

Sadly, given the inherently good nature and often blind trust of the Open Source and Maker communities; operating on tight margins and excited to rush to market; it is also a prime market for unethical middlemen who knowingly sell counterfeit parts in the 3000+ vendor Shenzen market. A situation like this could spell potential disaster for an emerging business looking to build a brand.

The other over arching concern after watching Counterfeit Culture, is given that China is the largest manufacturing economy in the world with the ability to adapt or copy anything with remarkable accuracy; The foundation of the Open Source community built on the free flow of ideas and trust... two opposing ends... How do domestic Maker companies just getting their wings insulate themselves and their ideas?  What impacts if any will this have on the Open Source Community?

As stated by Todd Gilmore, RCMP Inspector:

This situation will never change, until consumers change; as long as it is driven by consumer demand then counterfeiting will not go away.  So really we've got to grow a conscious  we've got to grow up and take responsibility for our own lives and what we buy and what we consume - and it's kind of unfashionable to say this, but we really have to... A bargain isn't really a bargain just because what you pay for it.

 What are your thoughts?

  Original Arduino Blog:

http://blog.arduino.cc/2012/11/26/kickstarter-trademarks-and-lies/

Original Kicksucker Blog Post: 

http://kicksucker.tumblr.com/post/57710158633/smartmaker-101-readers-digest-version

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