Read my comment about how there are at least two separable problems in this issue. Perhaps then my position will make sense to you. Continuing to argue through hypothetical examples is pointless, it's getting sillier and sillier and farther away from key issues.
Counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime. It costs jobs. It costs progress. It costs entire industries. Don't blame the victim. Consumers just happen to be caught in the middle of what, at the end of the day, is a political mess.
One could argue consumers are the victims of politicians and their terrible policies. That's where this gets complicated and we could end-up understanding that the FTDI problem has its genesis a decade or two ago.
I mean, what's FTDI supposed to do? Shut down and let the fakes take the market? What would happen to quality, reliability and support then? A business like FTDI doesn't run on pink unicorns. If fakes destroy their market they are out, a bunch of people lose their jobs and good luck with support for any chip or predictable performance and quality from anyone.
The choices we make have consequences in the short and long term. This is just a microcosm of what the world has allowed China to get away with.
