I had my laptop stolen a few years ago. The police took the serial number and details, and added it to a list they circulated to second-hand/pawn shops; this is

I had my laptop stolen a few years ago. The police took the serial number and details, and added it to a list they circulated to second-hand/pawn shops; this is checked when big-ticket items are brought in. It was (apparently) also used for searching websites like Craigslist to look for distinguishing features in similar devices sold locally. Pretty cool overall. So it works in this sense, and while I really like the idea you're talking about, I don't think it'll work for a few of reasons: 1. This is apparently already happening (albeit behind the scenes, and probably only in some areas) 2. It seems unlikely that the seller of a stolen device will be willing to allow you to check the serial number against a database. OTOH if you do decide it's worth pursuing and you want some technical resource, hit me up :)