DoD Counterfeit Rules Subpar, Expert Tells Congress (UPDATED)
WASHINGTON -- A leading committee member of one of the largest electronics industry trade groups testified to Congress that new rules governing counterfeit components might be too onerous and have unintended consequences that overwhelm the goals of the statute.
As part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, the US Congress directed the Department of Defense to implement certain practices to prevent fake parts from entering the supply chain.
Robert Metzger of Rogers Joseph O'Donnell, vice chair of TechAmerica's supply chain subcommittee, said the DoD rules mandating procurement of parts from OEMs or their authorized dealers cannot be followed because of the vast number of systems and the scarcity of available components in the supply chain.
Metzger also argued that the DoD rules fails to adequately define whether certain distributors should be qualified suppliers, and does not distinguish between OEM parts that fail quality inspections versus parts that are fake.
The rule should also provide more guidance on purchasing decisions where parts are determined to be obsolete or otherwise unavailable from trusted suppliers, he added.
Metzger, an attorney who also works on an American Bar Association committee that studies counterfeit parts rules, said his comments were his own views and not necessarily those of TechAmerica or ABA.
