Minneapolis, MN - The SMTA and CALCE/University of Maryland are pleased to announce that the 3rd Annual Symposium on Avoiding, Detecting, and Preventing Counterfeit Electronic Parts will be held on December 2-3, 2009 at the University of Maryland. Counterfeit electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) parts pose a significant threat in the global supply chain. In addition to losses to legitimate producers for the components, equipment failures or malfunctions can present situations that cause mission failures, health and safety concerns and could jeopardize national security.

Topics will include:

• Counterfeit and Suspect Part Identification and Mitigation
• Inspection Programs and Techniques to Identify Counterfeit and Suspect Parts
• Electrical, Physical, and Material Testing Techniques and Standards for Various Components
• Legal Liability of Counterfeits and Suspect Parts in the Supply Chain
• Legal Strategy for Protecting your Intellectual Property
• Enforcement of Intellectual Property and Anti-Counterfeiting Laws
• Working with Worldwide Enforcement Agencies
• Identifying and Controlling Risks of Item(s) and Vendor Selection
• Counterfeit Part Policy and Procedures from Industry and Government
• Understanding and Working with Government and Industry Reporting Agencies

Also featuring 3 half-day tutorials:

• "Counterfeit Parts Avoidance Training for EEE Parts", by NASA/JPL
• "Anti-Counterfeiting: The Powers That Be", by Global Intellectual Property Strategy Center, P.C.
• "Material Level Evaluation and Electrical Characterization", by CALCE and Integra Technologies

For more information, contact Melissa Serres Marx (SMTA) at 952-920-7682 or melissa@smta.org.