[robomartin]

> I bet people have _died_ due to FTDIs actions.

I'll bet that's an exaggeration. If you are going to say something like that you have to back it up with data.

I could just as easily make the claim that people have died due to fakes. We can do that and go round and round a silly pointless circle.

The problem of fakes is real. And it is likely very much political (addressed in another comment). What is is NOT is the legitimate manufacturer's fault, even if they defend their existence by refusing to allow fakes to function with their drivers.

Fake chip manufacturers are perfectly free to do the required R&D, issue and support their own drivers. However, they are thieves, and prefer to steal rather than do the hard work and take the risks their victims undertake.

[sokoloff]

> if they defend their existence by refusing to allow fakes to function with their drivers.

I don’t think anyone is arguing that FTDI has to let those chips be supported by FTDI drivers. I believe that intentionally sabotaging devices that have clone chips in them (such that they won’t work even once disconnected from the computer running their driver or that the device will be damaged simply by plugging it into a computer with that driver) goes well beyond simply “refusing to allow fakes to function with their drivers.”

That’s not OK, IMO.