PRC China TVT / Taiwan Hi Sharp / USA DW Manufacturing Relationship Investigated
While uncovering who actually makes products has long been a risk, this new triumvirate of PRC China's TVT, Taiwan's Hi Sharp, and USA's Digital Watchdog raises important legal and ethical questions over who is actually making something and whether it was made in the PRC or Taiwan.
We first uncovered this issue in our test of DW's new V-Class cameras, where we noticed discrepancies between the branding and the actual product.
In this note, based on exchanges with Hi Sharp and DW as well as examining TVT firmware, we examine the relationship and the risks involved.
DW ****** *********
**** ******** *** ******* ******** *-***** cameras ***** *******, ********* *** *******' packaging *** *** ******** ************, ******** no ******* ** ****** ******* ****** on ****** ****** *** * ***** sticker ****** ** *** ******** ** the ******'* ***/********* ******* "************ ** Taiwan".
** ******** ** ** ************* ** IPVM *** ************ **** *** (******** further *****), ** ***** ********* ******** corroborating ****.
*** **** ** **** ** *** DW *-***** *******, ***** ********* * TVT ****** ***** *** *********. **** cameras ********* *** ".*********************" ****** *** more, ******** ** *** ** (**** examining *** **** ****, ***** *** developer ***** ** ****** *** **** Suite.)
**** ******* **** *** ** *-*****'* web **, ** ******* **** ************ between **** *** * ***** *** OEMs *** **, ********* *** **** "Revoke," ***** ** ******** ** **** Web ***, *** * ******** **** used ** **** ********/**************.
************, ***** ***** ******* *** *****/****** information **** ** *** **/*** *** UIs, ***** **** ************ ***** ** the ******** ******* ********* *** **** (e.g., ****** ****, ******* *****, *****, etc.)the ******** *******, *** ****** ** the ******** *** *******, **** **** similarities ***** ** *** *****/****** *********** page.
***** ******** *** *******, ** ***** the *** ******* ***** *** *** same ** *** ** *-***** *** a *** ******.
******, **** ******** ******* ********'* ****** records *** ***** **** **** ** the ****** ********* **** ***** ******* from ** *****, ***** ******** ** to ****** ** ***** ** **** investigation.
*******, ***** ********* *** *******, ** found *** ***** ***** ******** ** DW, ***** ******* ******** ***** *********. TVT *** *** ******* ** *** of ****'* *************. ** **** ****** if/when **** **.
TVT ******* *****
********* *** ******* ********* *** ********* import *******, **** ******** *** ******** online **** ***, ** *****, *** DW ****** ** ***** *******, ******** The****-********* * ****** (**** ** ***)****** *** ********** ******* ************ *** specifications **** ***** *-***** (**** ** **)*** ***** ***** ****** ******* **** (**** to ** *****)** *** *******.
*** ** ******* *** * ********* mounting ***** *** ****** ***** **** the ** ***** *** *** ******, which ***** ** **** ********* ** identify ******* ***** ******* *** ****.
Imported **** *******
******* ******** **** **** *** *********** Of ****** ************* *** *** *-***** cameras, ***** ****** ** ***** *** the ******** ** *** *-***** ******* and ****** ***** ******* ********** ** Taiwan. (***** *** ***** ***** ** enlarge)
** **** *** ********* ********* **** it *** ******** *** ** ****** requirements *** **** ******* ** *** of ***** *********** *** ***:
** ******* *** ******** *** ************* related ** *** “**** ** ******” designation. *** ******* ********** **** ******** US ****** ************, ** ***** ** any ******** ***, ** **** ******* it.
** **** ****** ********** ************* ** the **** ** * ******* ****, SOP, *** ********** ******* ****** ** be ********* **** ** ***** ** not **** ********* *** *** *******. Hi ***** ******* *** *********** ** achieve *** *************.
*** ******* ********** **** ******** ** import ************, ** ***** ** *** contrary ***, ** **** ******* **. We ********** *** *********** ** ******* and ****** ********* ** *******.
Hi ***** **** ************* ** ******
***** ********* ******* ********'* ****** ********, IPVM ********* ** ***** ** ******* the ************* ****** *** *** ************ between ******* ********, ** *****, *** TVT.
** ***** **** **** **** *********** the ** *-***** ******* ** ****** and ** ********* **** ***** (******) laws:
*** ******** ***** ******* ** *** DW ** ****** ************ ** ** SHARP ** ******.
** *** ******** *****, *** *** observe *** ***** ****** ** **********, including ********, ******** *******, ****** ************, cleaning, *** *********. ** ****** ** all *********** ** ******, ******** **** the ** ******* ** ******** ** compliance **** ***** ****.
Hi *****/**** ************
**** ****, ** *****'* ******** ** the ******* ********** ****** (***), ******* explained ** **** *** ************ **** TVT:
******* *** *** **** * ******** partnership, ************* ** ******* ******* ********* product *********** ** ***** **** ** AI, *****, ***, ****** ***********, *** more. ************, ******* ** ********* **** the ******** *** ************* ** ******** by ***.
** ***** ** ************* ******* ******* Watchdog, ***, *** ** *****, **** specified **** *** **** ****, ** Sharp *** **** *********** *** ******* manufacturing *** ************* **** ***, *** Digital ********:
*** ** *** **** ************* ******* for **** ****. ******* ** **** responsible *** *** ********* *** ********** aspects.
DW **** ***** **** ***
********* ************** ******* *** ***** ********, Digital ******** **** **** **** *** established * ************ **** *** *** communicated **** *** ********* *** *-***** cameras. ************, ** **** **** **** chose ** **** *** *-***** ******** in ****** **** ******** *** ******* of ************* ***** ** ****** ** China. ******* ******** **** **** **** have *** ************ **** ** ***** throughout **** *******:
** ** **** ********** ********* **** our **/** ******, ** **** * relationship **** *** ** ******* ********* solutions ** ******* ****** ******** **** our **-***** ******* ********** ****** *******. The *-***** ******* ** * ************ of **** ************.
** ******* ********, *** *-***** ********, we **** ******* ********** ******* ** either * ******* ** ***** ** Taiwan. ** ***** ** **** *-***** produced **** *** ******** ** ******.
** **** * ************ **** *** so ** ** *** **** * HI ***** ** *** *** * formal *********.
Legal *****
******'************ ********* *** ******** ** ************ of ****** *** ************ ** *************** *** *******'******** ***** *** **-******** ******** *********** ********* *** ************* of ******* *******. ******* * ** the ********** ********** *** **********:
******** *** ****** *********** ** *** ROC ***** **** *** ** *** criteria ********** *****:
*. **** *** ****** ******** ** wholly ******** ** *** ***.
*. ** *** ********' **********, *************, or ********* ******* ************ ** *** ROC *** ***** ********* ** *******, the ****substantial ************** ***** ** ********* ** *** ***. [Emphasis added]
******** *********** ** *** *** *** be ******* *** *** (**** ** Taiwan) ***** **** ** *** *** Smile **** ************* ******; *******, ************* to ******** *** *** ***** **** shall **** ***** ** *** ******** outlined ** *** ********* *********.
** ******** ** ****'* *********, ** Sharp's ******** ** *** ******* ********** Office **** ********* **** ******* ******** has ************* ********** **** *** *-***** products *** ************ ** ******. ** did *** ******** ******* ** *** the "**** ** ****** ***** ****" certificate:
***** *** ** *-***** *******, ******* Watchdog *** ************* ********** **** **** product ** ************ ** ******.
*** ******* ********** ***** **** (***) ******** *** ** Federal ********** ** *** ***** **** originate, ** *** ************* ***********, ** the *** ** ******* "********** *********." Digital ******** ********* **** *** *-***** cameras *** *** *** ********* *** that ****** **** ************ ** ****** was **** ********* **** ****** **** manufactured ** ***** *** ****** *******.
** *** *** ********* ***** ******* for *** **********, ** ** *** unclear ***** **** *** ************ [****] were ********* **. ** ***** **** been **** ********* ** *** *** tariffs **** ** *** *** ****** facility ** ***** ** ** ******* to ***** ****, ** ****, ***** the ********.
***** ******* ********'* *-***** ******* ******* clarified ** *** "**** ** ****** Smile ****" *********** *** ********* ** TAA *********, ***** ** **** ********* that *** ******** *** **** ** Taiwan ** **** ***** *** **** been "************* ***********" ** *** ******* as ********* ** **** ****** *** the ** *** ** ********* ******* origins.
Video ********** *** / *******
************* ** ****, ******* ****** * YouTube ***** *********** *** *** *******, raising *** **** ******** **** ** found, ************ ********* ** "***", *.*., being "**** ** ******":
** ***** *** ****** *** *** poster ***, *** **** **** *********** Chinese ********** (**** ** ******), *** the ******** *** * ********* ******.
TVT ** ********
*** *** *** ******* ** ****'* repeated ******* *** ******* ******** * week ****** ** *********.
Benefit *** ***
*** ******** **** ****** **** ***** are ****** *** ******** ******* **** enables *** ******* ** ******** ** grow *** ***/*** ********** *** ********* non-PRC ********* **** *** ****** ** having ***** ******** ************ ** *****, or ******, ******* ********** *** *** of *** ********.
Benefit *** **
******* ******** ******** **** ************** ****** from *** ***** ** ** ********* toward *** ******* ********* *** ****** concerns ****** ************* *** ******* ****** toward "**** ** *****" ******** ****.
Risk *** ******
*******, *** ******, ****** **** ** American ******* **** ****** **** ***** products *** **** ** ******, **** poses ******* ***** ** *** ******** used ** ***** ***-***** (***), *** legitimate ********* ***** ******* * *** firmware/product "****" / "*********" ** ****** truly ****** ** **** ** ******.