Where Policy, Legislation, Standards and Practicality Collide – Counterfeit Parts Prevention Issues Requiring Government / Industry Collaboration to Address

Legislation and regulatory requirements and standards gaps continue to present aerospace & defense industry and US government users with significant implementation challenges with respect to counterfeit part avoidance and detection. The counterfeit parts issue is similar to the lead-free electronics issue in that regulations drive the need for standards, but technical challenges and supply chain limitations must be recognized so that reasonable and implementable regulations and policies are developed in response to the threat. Though many of these challenges have been discussed in Industry and Government forums and described in trade literature and the media, many remain unresolved.

“Most Counterfeit Parts Involve obsolete Semiconductors and other EoL Components” – ECIA

“Electronics distributors say they were not surprised by a recent analysis by an industry researcher that found that 57 percent of counterfeit parts that were reported over a 10-year period involved obsolete or end-of-life semiconductors and other components. …”

More in “the source”, ECIA August 2012 Newsletter

“Counterfeits driven by obsolete parts, says IHS” – Electronics Weekly

“Some have said that if you can avoid all obsolete parts, you can eliminate all the risk of counterfeits, however, this is untrue for many reasons …
Obsolete parts represent only a portion of the counterfeit scourge, with active components accounting for a significant share of all counterfeits reported. Moreover, it’s unrealistic or technically infeasible to economically eliminate the use of all obsolete parts …
This underscores the critical need for electronics buyers to arm themselves with the right methods and tools to manage both obsolete and active critical components "

More @ Electronics Weekly

FY2012 NDAA – Obsolescence Management and Its Relationship to Counterfeit Electronic Part Avoidance

Section 818 of the FY2012 NDAA requires DOD to establish requirements for a contractor or subcontractor to notify its DOD customer when electronic parts are obtained from any source other than the original manufacturer or its authorized dealer. The continued demand for parts known to be obsolete is one scenario where DOD and its contractors can anticipate when it will be necessary to make such purchases unless obsolete parts are eliminated from electronic equipment designs.