SAN JOSE – The Semiconductor Industry Association hailed the latest guilty plea in an ongoing prosecution of people involved in the sale of counterfeit semiconductor products.

The owner of MVP Micro Inc. entered a guilty plea to the charge of trafficking in counterfeit goods, and faces incarceration up to 46 to 57 months, depending on factual issues to be decided by the sentencing court, said the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
 
SIA president George Scalise said the sale of counterfeit semiconductor products poses a special threat to critical infrastructure, health and safety, and homeland and national security.

“Semiconductor counterfeiting is fraud, pure and simple. Given the potential for catastrophic injury and damage from failure of a counterfeit microchip, vigorous enforcement actions are necessary to deter this type of illegal activity,” he said.

“Counterfeiting of semiconductors is a growing problem. Electronic equipment manufacturers can combat counterfeiting by purchasing semiconductors only from trusted sources,” he continued.
 
SIA formed an Anticounterfeiting Task Force in 2006 to address the growing problem of semiconductor counterfeiting. The task force’s work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection led to the seizure of 1.6 million counterfeit semiconductors since November 2007.