What's With These Holographic UL stickers?

One can only assume that they are having the same problem as Microsoft, counterfeiting. Likely lots of places where it is illegal to sell without UL stickers, but UL approval is not cheap.

Last couple of power extension cords I bought have several HUGE plastic tags on each end with warnings about everything up to a reminder to keep breathing to avoid asphyxiation.

Hah-hah! Snork! One of the guys at work was out because he got scalded by some hot water. Reminded me of that lady who won the lawsuit against McDonalds because she got scalded by hot coffee. Now every time I see a cup of coffee, I'm reminded of that by the now prevelant WARNING on it. In multiple languages!

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BTW, now some of the pirates in China are using holographic stickers on "their" software (!). Presumably to safeguard their brand name and fine reputation..

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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I was over in England a few weeks ago, talking to some folks about building them a nasty (3KV pulses, couple ns wide, 500 KHz or so) pulse generator, which terrifies me from an EMI standpoint. So I asked them if they would require CEmark certification. They all cracked up, laughed at me like I was an idiot. One of them took pity on me and explained that CE actually stands for Can't Enforce.

John

There are a lot of manufactures out in remote parts of the world who are copying the UL stickers in order to sell the products in the US and Canada. The ones with the holograph, will be very difficult to replicate. I am sure that they may even have some hidden markings of some type. Try using a UV-A type UV lamp on it, to see if there are any invisible security markings.

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Next thing you know, they'll have a shrink-wrap license on the back of the blister pack!! ;-))

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My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 hotmail.com Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half). You'll be glad you did! Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't changed it:

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 03:09:43 -0800, Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, Dark Remover" Gave us:

It is so they cab=n be considered authentic. The sticker is also likely to be the type the destructs upon attempted removal as well.

Like warranty stickers.

In europe, they want to charge for things like mouse scroll bars, and the guy that wrote that code... etc etc. It's going to be a nightmare over there, if they ever pass that crap.

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 04:14:01 -0800, "Richard Crowley" Gave us:

Merely placing a sticker on your product won't cut it, however, no matter how good the sticker is, or how "legit"

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 13:11:22 GMT, Spehro Pefhany Gave us:

China has things that they actually authored from scratch? No way.

Let's pirate it!

The holographic labels were originally required for certain products manufactured in china. They were to combat counterfeiting of UL labels. Their use has been expanded to other categories of equipment but still for products made in Asia. Mostly low priced easily counterfeited. Counterfeit labeled extension cords for instance contain undersized wire and thin insulation and are unsafe.

The labels were combined with an education program and anti counterfeit initiative with US customs. If you want the whole story contact Brian Monks UL's Melville, NY office. Also try the website

After seeing the labels that have to be placed on products now, it makes me feel good that there are people in this world that a dumber than I. John

Counterfeit UL labels are a common occurence in Alaska. While inspecting the Red Dog Mine project I found numerous nonlisted equipment. On the next trip the equipment had UL labels on it. I took the number off the UL albels and contacted UL to find that the labels had come from England. UL wanted me to investigate for them. That was not possible and UL never followed up.

There was a Darwin natural-selection candidate years back who sued because he fell off his ladder - which he climbed after placing it on a pile of manure. Of course, he won!

me

of

reminder

On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 22:39:36 -0500, Keith R. Williams Gave us:

It was a 90 odd year old lady that sued MacDonalds.

On Sat, 01 Nov 2003 03:50:01 GMT, "Gerald Newton" Gave us:

That's the whole thing. Regardless of how the product and or package is marked, it is the item that is traceable as to it's conformance. Call in the number, and get verification upon receipt of newly purchased items.

That is what incoming inspection procedures are for. It should never make it into field use if it didn't get inspected for conformance first.

Granted, the holographic labels are a more secure device, there is still nothing like checking it out.

We silk screen our UL mark on at least two of our products. Each was individually certified by UL at UL's facility. Many companies can "self certify" with the correct personnel, and UL approval. Same for CSA.

Some of our devices have the mark included in our product abel. Some of our products are conversion modules, and do not even need UL approval. Since we have plants in, and market in other countries, there are plenty of other certs that are needed before UL, for non-AC powered devices sold in european, asian, and middle eastern countries

Remember also that they heated the coffee 40 degrees hotter than "normal" because it was better to waft the aroma round the store to boost sales. And the $ amount was calculated by taking one DAY of corporate profits from coffee sales.

Which begs the obvious question, "Do people really drink coffee that is so hot it burns them? (say +180 F)"

Or was the drive-thru pushing up the temperature so the coffee would still be warm when the purchaser was 20 minutes down the road? Probably some people complained that their coffee wasn't still hot after 20-30 minutes, so the 'answer' was to push the temp. setting up to unsafe levels.

No, she opened it to add cream and sugar and spilled it on herself.

20 degrees was claimed, no need to embelish. I hate lukewarm coffee.

So a trial lawyer would say. Have you actually smelled McDonald's "coffee"? Wafting that odor around the store probably drives customers away.

Two days of GROSS coffee SALES over their many THOUSANDS of outlets. Not a one of which had anything to do with what this person did to herself. It was actually settled, presumably for much less than the

480K that a judge reduced that ridiculous jury award ($2.7M) to.

Just because there undeniably were damages doesn't mean that the restaurant is reponsible. No matter how much you dislike corporate America.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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"it's the network..."                          "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com

Hopefully the customer was rendered sterile... thus cleansing the gene pool ;-)

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
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Err.. she was 90+ they say? I doubt she'd be having any kids anyway. ;)

Tim

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