TECHNOLOGY - Oct. 25, 1993
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Intel Corp. to Stamp Serial Number on Chips: The company said the action is being taken in an attempt to fight an increase in computer chip theft. Recent armed robberies in the Bay Area have netted hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of chips, including Intel’s popular 486 microprocessor. As a first step, Intel will track chip sales by using the quality control numbers already stamped on its product packaging. Manufacturers have put serial numbers on computers, printers and disk drives for years to discourage theft. But chip makers have resisted such a policy because of the difficulty of stamping numbers on such tiny objects.
