An example is aftermarket parts that use a single character prefix or suffix to distinguish their otherwise identical part number from an original equipment manufacturer part number (FAA guidance for PMA parts now permits them to use the OEM part number as a root, so long as the prefix or suffix is at least two characters long). At its root, a counterfeiting claim is an intellectual property claim. In order to combat counterfeits in the industry, it helps to be aware of the intellectual property violations that can reflect instances of counterfeiting. Even without specifically taking into account the distinctions between unapproved and counterfeit parts, the civil aviation industry has made tremendous strides in anticounterfeiting activities through the FAA AC 00-56 system. This FAA advisory circular represented a voluntary quality system that could be adopted by distributors. The FAA recognizes audited quality systems, and a list is available online. While the system was originally targeted at unapproved parts, it also has achieved success in addressing counterfeits because many counterfeits are unapproved, despite the fact that the two sets of parts are not entirely identical. One drawback to this system, as a means of address- ing counterfeit parts, is that it is largely confined to civil aviation and has not infiltrated the defense aerospace community. Much of the recent aviation press concerning counterfeit parts has centered around discrete electronic parts purchased by the U.S. government. Several studies of this issue have been published. Most of these studies show the most common way counterfeits enter the U.S. procurement system is when a government contractor purchases from an unknown source. Continued on following page avionics news • september 2012 61http://www.beckerusa.com