This is not unheard of for hardware. Firmware or driver updates to legitimate devices can detect pirate/counterfeit devices and brick them. Attitudes are chang

This is not unheard of for hardware. Firmware or driver updates to legitimate devices can detect pirate/counterfeit devices and brick them. Attitudes are changing since the publicity about FTDI doing this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTDI#Driver_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTDI#Driver_controversy