Motorola Joins Land Mine Fight

Technology giant Motorola Inc. on Monday banned sales of one of its switches for use in making land mines, joining a U.S.-led international crusade against the concealed killers of tens of thousands of people every year.

“When we found out this product was being used for that purpose, we began an internal review to determine how it happened and what we could do to be sure our product would not be used in that fashion in the future,” said Larry Barton, Motorola’s vice president of issues management.

Under the policy, the Schaumburg, Ill.-based company will not knowingly sell the switches, known as common logic devices, to land mine manufacturers or to companies that supply them.

The switch is used in tens of thousands of household products ranging from washing machines to hair dryers, but it is also an integral part of anti-personnel mines.

The use of the Motorola switches in mines came to light in a summer edition of the Public Broadcasting Service program “Nova.”

“In that program, they showed an individual opening a land mine that was found, and in there was one of these devices,” Barton said, adding that Motorola was named. “That was a real eye-opener.”

Motorola says it was never in the land mine business. Barton said the devices were largely sold to land mine manufacturers by resellers, such as overstocked computer producers. But an internal investigation discovered Motorola had sold to one land mine manufacturer without the knowledge of corporate headquarters.

“Some companies who manufacture land mines and some countries clearly were able to access our product,” Barton said, declining to give names.

Shares of Motorola fell 25 cents to close at $51.50 on the New York Stock Exchange.

CARE relief agency spokeswoman Wendy Driscoll, citing U.N. figures, said Monday that about 110 million land mines are scattered in 64 countries and about 2 million more are planted every year. The mines cost about $3 each to make and $1,200 each to clear.

“Until recently, land mine production has been tolerated in most countries,” Driscoll said. “Motorola’s decision . . . really sends a message. I think a lot of [companies] are unaware and what Motorola has done is open the door to question how and where their products are used.”

Motorola said it does not expect the new policy, which has been in development since June, to affect its bottom line.