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Counterfeit DFI Motherboards Surface In Indonesia
crazyeyes writes "Those crazy counterfeiters have done it again. First they made counterfeit Intel boxed processors, now they are counterfeiting DFI motherboards! Quoting: 'The detail to the packaging, documentation and the motherboard printing really makes you wonder if the people responsible for this have only limited their activities to DFI motherboards. It's quite possible that there are fake ASUS or Gigabyte motherboards in the market as well.'" Update: 04/15 12:59 GMT by Z : As noted in the comments, the articles offer no speculation as to the origins of the counterfeits. Updated to clarify that.
In the small island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (where some people might be surfing from this at this moment), they have slave labor factories for designer apparel makers like Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, Tommy Hilfiger, and J.Crew. The price of the merchandise is pretty steep compared to what you can get at Target, but some people really like to spend a little extra to look good in the latest duds from these designers.
On Saipan, though, you can get knock-off Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, Tommy Hilfiger, and J.Crew clothes for really cheap. Almost cheaper than the price of materials. These knock-offs are so good that even an expert wouldn't be able to tell a real one from a fake one.
The reason is that they are all real ones produced by the same factory. The only difference is whether the apparel was passed through proper distribution channels or swiped from a table at quitting time.
So, if I can save 80% of my money buying a "counterfeit" motherboard, is my little indiscretion going to break the global economy? Why can't I save a bit on the mobo and splurge a bit on something else? The design and manufacturing knowledge to build them is out there, shouldn't anyone be able to replicate the boards? And if they come from the same assembly line, what differentiates a real one from a fake one? Isn't "proper distribution channels" an artificial construct to bilk customers?
All those motherboards have all the right looking shininess, capacitors, traces etc etc. How does a person without a PhD in I dunno--hardware something--tell these apart from legit boards (apart from the legit boards not being sold in the country of sale.)
In what way are those counterfeit motherboards worse than the original?
Is just DFI getting no money for them or can the end user experience any difference?
Confused.
I have seen fake Nokia phones that run Nokia software. Back three years ago I didn't believe it. Now they fake IPhones, processors, mainboards. I heard (and didn't really believe) that they can, and sometimes do, fake just about everything.
... (fill in what you want)
Now take a step back and think about it: Pharmaceuticals, airplane spare parts, nuclear power plant spare parts
And I am thinking. If they are that skilled, why don't they just produce originals themselves (I heard that some fakes are even better than the originals, especially with products where a lot of value is in the brand instead of the product itself).
A friend of mine is a silversmith. He recently completed a contract for a high class jeweler to produce some bracelets. The cost of the silver used was around £15 but the bracelets were sold in the jewelers store for £120. When he finished the contract he used the original design specs and some left over silver to make a few more bracelets which he sold to friends for £30 - so are these fakes?
These guys have the manufacturing capability to make anything; what's lacking is official will to enforce IP. Ironic isn't it? The Chinese government's official line is that they won't do anything to jeopardize economic growth. The fact is the government is rolling in cash - over $1 TRILLION in foreign reserves (the exact opposite of a national debt) and hold big chunks of US Gov't debt. Probably because of this, there also seems to be no real will among western governments to call them on it, despite increasing industry opposition.
Basically the Chinese have the world by the balls and they know it. I for one welcome our new Chinese overlords, provided I can has pork fried rice.
BTW I'm not racist and certainly the Chinese have the right to economic development. I just think it's time they started playing by the rules.
I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
I work in a computer shop, and two weeks ago, a guy tried to sell us 1000 "corsair" RAM modules for a very cheap price. Before buying, my boss asked to test them: 8 out of ten wouldn't even boot the computer, and the two that did were actually "kingston" modules on which the brand name had been removed and replace by "Corsair". The packaging looked exactly the same as legit "corsair"'s. The RAM in fact was the rejects from some factory rebranded and resold.
Rules? what rules? our rules? their rules?
The rule of the majority?
The rule of might makes right?
The rule of he who has the gold makes the rules?
They don't have to play by 'our' rules at all if they don't want to. And the rest of the world can't make them.
Just because we pressured alot of other countries into playing by our set of rules. Don't think for a second you can do the same to china. They have the population and resources to make their own rules. and force US to play by them.
They make all our stuff now. They hold all our debts. I'd say they can do what ever they want....
scary aint it.
1911:After having had a 2,000 year run with the Imperial ball, the Chinese decide they want a republic. A bad government is better than no government at all, right? Whoops, how'd we screw that one up? Competing warlords control various parts of the country,
1925: A man name of Chiang Kai-shek begins to take over the reins. He's the best thing that the Chinese have to a leader, so US diplomatic efforts are directed his way. Of course, it would be a horrible insult to claim that he was anything other than the strong leader of a united China, right?
1931: The japanese invade Manchuria. CKS response: oh, dang, what a bummer. I suppose I could send some troops out there, but what the hell--they're only peasants. And you know, if I lose any of my army, then I wouldn't have it any more...wonder who I could get to fight for me? CUE 77 YEARS (and counting) OF U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE.
1931-1945: Chiang Kai-shek fights a losing war, when other people force him to. Through diplomatic cunning, he gets the U.S. (whose desire to have China in the game as a major player, especially after the outbreak of war in Europe, was basically driving the whole matter) to send him aid, soldiers supplies, and recognition as a major power. Meanwhile, the communists are taking things over while CKS lets things slide.
1949: CKS runs off to the newly-acquired island of Taiwan, aka Formosa. The corrupt regime is rescued from annihilation by the U.S. military. Again.
2008: we're still protecting the ROC, the PRC is still angry at the mere existence of the ROC, and the U.S. still buys stuff from both of them. Cause, y'know, we want them to be a major player in the w---hmm. Well, we've been doing it for a while. Can't quit now, right?
For further reading, check out Stilwell and the American Experience in China 1911-45 by Barbara Tuchman, who is more well known for The Guns of August
Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.