Customs experts meet to curb IC counterfeiting
The World Semiconductor Council (WSC) applauded the conclusions of this week’s workshop of Customs Experts on semiconductor counterfeiting. The workshop was held in September in conjunction with the Governments and Authorities Meeting on Semiconductors (GAMS), and included customs experts and officials from China, Chinese Taipei, the European Union, Japan, Korea and the United States together with representatives of their respective industries and trade ministry officials. The EU chaired the workshop with Korea as the location host. It was the first time representatives of all six major semiconductor producing regions had met to tackle the issues around global counterfeiting.
EU Head of Delegation Henk Molegraaf from the Directorate for Taxation & Customs Union, concluded: “We were very impressed by the level of openness, expertise and willingness to discuss and cooperate on the issue of the increasing phenomenon of semiconductor counterfeiting. It is clear this is a global problem which is affecting all parts of the world in one form or the other. 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.
During the meetings, participants discussed the extent of the problem, societal and economic risks and consequences of semiconductor counterfeiting, descriptions of national enforcement procedures, current efforts to address the problem, and possible “tool kits” to contain semiconductor counterfeiting. With their Joint Report, the Customs Experts responded to the WSC semiconductor CEO Delegates who in May 2008 had raised the topic.
Counterfeit products are an increasing problem throughout the world and the semiconductor industry is no exception to this growing threat. The impact goes beyond IP or trademark infringement of semiconductor companies. Together with an increase in the number of semiconductors being used in an end-product, proliferation of counterfeit semiconductors in today's market creates risks to public safety and health.
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 meeting.
