Counterfeit HDMI cables seem to be a big problem in high-tech Taiwan. Public service broadcaster PTS and the Liberty Times both published reports on Wednesday, sharing news of a police raid that netted 3,037 counterfeit HDMI cables from online sellers based in several major cities. According to reports, the seized goods had an “infringement market value” of over TWD$80 million (USD$2.6 million).
While the PTS reports characterize online sellers of counterfeit HDMI products as “unscrupulous operators,” the Police Department’s view seems to be less judgmental. For example, a police captain is quoted as saying that both the public and online sellers misunderstand HDMI. They typically think it is just the name of a connector or wire, and don’t know it is a registered trademark, reasoned the law enforcement official. However, products using the HDMI standard technology and / or trademark need to come from license fee-paying companies.
To try and raise awareness that HDMI isn’t just a cable name that can be used by anybody, the HDMI Association had a presence at Computex this summer, where a second-generation anti-counterfeiting certification label was launched. Customers are supposed to look for official labels, which integrate anti-counterfeiting measures such as patterns, holographic elements, and QR codes.
So, how big is the scale of the counterfeit HDMI cable problem in Taiwan? We've already mentioned that counterfeit HDMI goods were seized to an “infringement market value” of approximately USD$2.6 million in just one day this week. That seems a lot of money for 3,037 seized goods, and would indicate a value of USD$850 per item… We wonder if the sum includes licensing fines and / or damages. The Taiwanese reports also cite statistics that suggest that between 2022 and August 2023 counterfeit HDMI products worth nearly TWD$4 billion (USD$128 million) were sold on the island.
The HDMI Association will be filing lawsuits against the counterfeiters. However, the reports emphasize that police action should also protect consumers from cables that are of poor quality. It was warned that cables that have been manufactured without following HDMI standards and guidelines might not provide a good or consistent signals and might be poorly made. They might also have the potential to cause electrical fires.
In the meantime, we had a quick check through Shopee online marketplace listings in Taiwan and there still seems to be a plethora of suspicious HDMI cables for sale. For reference, NTD$100 is just USD$3.20.
