No Jim, it's not such a clear cut situation.
Of course manufacturers should be able to protect their interests, but
taking acceptable measures depends on the degree of the measures and as
usual the (often innocent) end-user is bearing the brunt of the 'measures'
instead of the perpetrators of the crime.
The entire scenario is confusing in the extreme. The 'genuine' manufacturers
sell their chips with a view to 3rd parties using them in interfaces which
they then sell. The end-user mostly will have no idea which chip they have
purchase in good faith. Even the technically competent of us will not stop
to question what's inside the box. You buy according to published details
and would find it very difficult to detect the "lies" on face value.
To simply disable a facility because you 'think' it's counterfeit and then
not inform the user, is futile. The deed has already been done, the money's
changed hands and all you've done is to cost yourself money in retaliation
development with no hope of recovering your losses. You have also gotten
yourself a reputation as a manufacturer of bad designs, because the public
in general can't differentiate between the real thing and the counterfeit.
That's why we have laws to be administered by people who (hopefully) know
what they're doing and who have the resources to prove the case and make it
stick against the source.
Microsoft with all their faults seem to have mostly got it right. To use
Windows legally you have to validate and everyone knows this. If you don't
abide by the rules or attempt to validate a "hooky" copy, the facility
(Windows) will be withdrawn and you will receive a message telling you why
and how to go about rectifying the situation. Microsoft do not attempt to
disable any part of your PC's hardware, which is what FTDI have done and in
my view is plain wrong!
Folks can sit on their pedestals and claim that "you should know better than
to buy a 'cheap' product" , but often there's not a vast difference in
prices and human nature being what it is, people like a bargain or a
perceived saving. The criminals exploit this trait and IMO it's up to the
vendors to go after the criminals directly, not a few end-users who will
give up on the device and nobody wins.
If I lived in the USA or was about to visit imminently, I'd happily buy what
I need direct from Elecraft as a responsible/reputable supplier, but as I'm
in the UK I've ordered a USB/RS232 interface cable direct from FTDI in
Scotland. The purchase price is significantly lower than that from Elecraft,
due to shipping costs and taxes, plus I do not wish to wait over a week to
receive it or pay courier prices for fast delivery.
Hopefully you can see my point? The device I've ordered is cheaper, but that
does not make me suspicious that it's counterfeit. If the device arrived and
was counterfeit, I'd be extremely surprised and very angry and would kick
ass!
73,
Alan. G4GNX
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Brown
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 9:33 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] RS232 interface
On 10/26/2014 2:22 AM, G4GNX wrote:
FTDI on the other hand should be severely slapped.
Let's see if I understand this. Someone steals from me, I take measures
to make it difficult for someone to use what has been stolen, and I am
the bad guy?
In most of the civilized world, buying stolen goods is a crime. And in
most religions, it's also immoral.
73, Jim K9YC
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