How can you tell whether the devices that you use to build your products are genuine? Counterfeiters can provide devices that look and may even perform like the real thing — for awhile.

Military equipment that must remain in service for decades cannot tolerate bad components or premature failure. To combat the fakers, beginning at the end of 2012 all devices sold to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) had to be marked with DNA fragments to unambiguously identify the devices' original manufacturer. That decision is not without controversy.

This article presents the issues surrounding DLA's decision. An accompanying commentary presents a "point/counterpoint" response from its supporters and opponents.