The
White House has created an interagency working group to stop counterfeit goods
from entering the supply chains that support Defense Department weapons systems
and private sector electronic goods, the nation’s first intellectual property
czar said September 28. This summer, the White House issued a joint strategic
plan to combat Internet Protocol theft that called for establishing a
government-wide working group to study how to reduce the risk of agencies
procuring counterfeit parts. The framework stated the task force should include
representatives from the National Security Council, Defense, NASA, General
Services Administration, Commerce Department, Small Business Administration and
Homeland Security Department. A January 2010 Commerce survey found that nearly
40 percent of entities across the procurement supply chain discovered
counterfeit electronics between 2005 and 2008. The semiconductor industry has
aired concerns that counterfeit chips mislabeled as military-grade can lead to
fatal malfunction in military and aerospace parts, according to the White House
strategic plan.