Microchip graffiti was used to prevent them. Microchips, or chips, are tiny electronic components that process and store all the information inside a computer. Chip manufacturers used to etch images into their chips to prove that they had made them. It's known as microchip grafitti.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The graffiti, also called silicon doodles, took many different forms. The designs were hidden among the electrical circuits and switches that made up the rest of the chip. They could prove it was theirs by pointing out hidden grafitti if the maker of the original chip then found their circuits on the new chip.
