Computer engineers at the University of Michigan and Rice University hope to solve the growing problem of chip patent infringement through a cryptography scheme that assigns each chip a unique lock and key. Called EPIC for Ending Piracy of Integrated Circuits, the technique relies on established cryptography methods, adding switches to the IC that behave like a combination lock.

Under the scheme, each integrated circuit would generate its own unique 64-bit random identification number during activation. The patent holder would hold the keys to unlock and activate the chip. Upon plugging the chip into the circuit, the manufacturer would contact the patent owner over a phone line or Internet connection. The chip would then transmit its ID securely to the patent owner, who then records the number, figures out the chip's unique key combination, and responds with an activation key.

The scientists hope this scheme can stem the rise of integrated circuit piracy, which has risen in recent years as U.S. companies started outsourcing production of newer chips with ultra-fine features. Overseas chip piracy has opened the way for bootleggers to use the chips to make counterfeit MP3 players, cell phones, and computers.

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