"Illegal" is an extremely broad and imprecise way to describe a physical object.
Imagine I buy a car from a dealership, and without my knowledge the dealer has swapped out the original radio for a cheap counterfeit. I guess technically you could argue that makes the car "illegal" but it would be absurd to suggest that the manufacturer has the right to come to my house and slash my tires.
As I see it, it's not about whether "fake chip users" are obeying the laws; the burden should be on FTDI to justify its willful property damage.
Imagine I buy a car from a dealership, and without my knowledge the dealer has swapped out the original radio for a cheap counterfeit. I guess technically you could argue that makes the car "illegal" but it would be absurd to suggest that the manufacturer has the right to come to my house and slash my tires.
As I see it, it's not about whether "fake chip users" are obeying the laws; the burden should be on FTDI to justify its willful property damage.