A large network of Chinese counterfeit network hardware manufacturers has been uncovered by Canadian, Chinese and US law enforcers in an operation that led to 400 seizures of fake Cisco network hardware worth more than $76 million.
Operation 'Cisco Raider' showed that counterfeiting is not only associated with the software industry as fake Intel processors, fake iPhones and even fake memory sticks are commonly found in the channel.
The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) together with Canada's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) collaborated during the operation that saw 10 people being convicted.
Noodle Cisco or Chisco products - fakes from China - are not something new; back in 2005, a computer firm near Rochdale had in its possession more than £100,000 worth of Cisco look-alike.
Unfortunately, the raid itself is unlikely to make a dent in that lucrative business; Network World wrote in 2007 about two Chinese companies that traded on Ebay and which apparently were offering Cisco network parts at rock bottom prices.
They have not been shut down and are still in operation despite suspicions
The 1000BASE-SX SFP module for example is sold for $19 by this seller on Ebay while it costs 12 times more at a Cisco reseller.
Operation 'Cisco Raider' showed that counterfeiting is not only associated with the software industry as fake Intel processors, fake iPhones and even fake memory sticks are commonly found in the channel.
The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) together with Canada's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) collaborated during the operation that saw 10 people being convicted.
Unfortunately, the raid itself is unlikely to make a dent in that lucrative business; Network World wrote in 2007 about two Chinese companies that traded on Ebay and which apparently were offering Cisco network parts at rock bottom prices.
They have not been shut down and are still in operation despite suspicions
The 1000BASE-SX SFP module for example is sold for $19 by this seller on Ebay while it costs 12 times more at a Cisco reseller.
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