"NOT Made in China" is the new differentiator

With all the panic breaking out about the deluge of counterfeit, contaminated, toxic, and otherwise unsavory products coming out of China, it was only a matter of time before some manufacturers took matters into their own hands ... and advertised their total lack of Chinese content. This may work for some, but globalization is here to stay - and manufacturers will need to sustainable ways to source safe goods and assure consumers of such. For those who have followed this blog, you'll know that this is not so much a sudden surge in fakes, but the scales falling from consumers eyes to the threat that has been there and building for several years.

Here's a roundup of recent news about fakes:

• The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in conjunction with Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) have launched a standards task force to define the use of security codes to protect components and assemblies from counterfeiting, re-marking and repackaging. YottaMark is proud to be a part of that effort.
• No-one can accuse China of soft punishment for counterfeit drugs. The (ex) head of the FDA was executed this week for taking bribes that lead to counterfeit drugs reaching the market and leading to the deaths of at least 10 people. However, worldwide, the penalties for counterfeiters are widely considered to be too light to deter the crime.
  
• A fake Sanyo cell phone battery exploded in China - killing the phone's owner. Exploding cell phone batteries have been heard of before - but this is the first time it's been fatal.