Quick update:
Installing an older driver is a temporary work around. The device remains effectively bricked and won't work in any computer or operating system which doesn't allow you to force a driver to use a certain device. The guys on Arudino forums are looking into ways to reverse the "damage" and reset the PID to 6001 which it should be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by koputai
Why is using counterfeit chips, or assisting in their use, any
different to any other form of copyright infringement such as
pirating software or torrenting movies?
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It's not copyright infringement. There are no laws against producing function like equipment i.e. an aftermarket oil filter for a Ford. The FTDI products don't do anything unique or ground breaking, in fact Serial CDC is part of the USB spec.
To compare it to a very legal example: Intel vs AMD. AMD implemented the x86 instruction set which was an open instruction set. The instruction set is not intellectual property, quite the opposite it needs to be published for a CPU to work. On the other hand the exact method in which the processor handles an instruction is intellectual property, and hence AMD lagged behind Intel with release of things like MMX and SSE, and why Intel lagged behind AMD to introduce x64 support.
Now, what this IS is Trademark Infringement.
It wouldn't be trademark infringement if the chips weren't marked with the FTDI logo, and and FTDI part number. What else it is is breach of the USB specs as you're not allowed to steal a Vendor ID (i.e. the device is not allowed to tell the computer that FTDI made it).
The reality is it's the suppliers who are legally liable, not the end users, just like in Australia you can't be held liable for downloading a movie or owning a pirated movie despite what the industry wants you to believe.
Unfortunately in this case FTDI aren't going after suppliers but rather the end users which officially marks the last time I buy one of their products. Time to buy Prolific chips instead.