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This could be useful in the semiconductor industry, for example. We are currently battling with marginally performing chips that were sold out the back door to
by 11thEarlOfMar 5y ago
This could be useful in the semiconductor industry, for example. We are currently battling with marginally performing chips that were sold out the back door to brokers. A traceable ledger inform us whether a lot we purchased from a broker had a chain of ownership back to the front door. This evidence would do a lot to ease our customer's concerns, and having the data public would be a plus.
- pests 5y agoWhy a blockchain though? How about a database the chip makers can update when they make a new chip, and a public forum showing latest chips made and a lookup to ensure chip authenticity? What does making this distributed or trusting others have to do with anything?
- 11thEarlOfMar 5y agoCounterfeit chip makers could simply look up the chips and re-use the serial numbers? The idea is to use a chain of purchase records (purchase orders and invoices) to ensure that each transaction is recorded and unique, with the first transaction in the chain entered by the manufacturer.
- pests 5y agoThe physical product has to be linked to this chain of purchase records tho. How do you tell, given just a chip, that it has a corresponding chain of records? Whatever solution you give me, what stops counterfeiters from reuse as well?
- 11thEarlOfMar 5y agoThe business processes of the companies involved in each transaction would ensure the keys/tokens were associated with a physical inventory under their control. MRP systems can manage the warehouse & inventory. The chips themselves don’t have to be marked.
- nicbou 5y agoOnly store hashes then. You can check that the item is in the database, but not list its contents. We've been doing this for a long time with passwords.
- _fizz_buzz_ 5y agoThe problem still exists. You cannot permanently fix a digital certificate to a physical object. If I buy a real chip and a fake chip, I can still reattach the certificate to the fake chip and sell it to you and keep the real chip.
- bhawks 5y agoSupply chain companies are usually pretty specialized. Their customers are going to only want chips with the certs. What are you going to do with all those certless real chips? Start manufacturing end user goods? There is high friction and low reward for the fraud you're suggesting.
- sudosysgen 5y agoSell them at a discount to people who can deal with the possibility of lower performance.
- bhawks 5y agoOr you could just sell them your bootleg chips? If you're not providing the certs it is obvious someone has been screwed. If one customer doesn't care why do them a favor by giving them good chips (at a discount) and screwing your other customer hoping they don't notice? The economic argument being made here seems very forced - yes you could defraud, but the incentive to do so seems very low. I do think the incentives exist more at the retail market level but high value b2b supply chains seem to benefit from some blockchain certification. The good that has been separated from its certificate is instantly suspect to the very small and highly informed customer base significantly reducing its value and potentially drawing attention to the party offering it as untrustworthy.
- sudosysgen 5y agoUnless your bootleg chips are very good, the buyer will distinguish and your reputation will plummet. If you are forthcoming and sell chips that actually work you can make a lot of profit.