The problem of USB VID/PID for small products?

[Jay Bowden]

Does anyone have recent or innovative news on this issue? Which is, basically that a USB VID
(Vendor ID) costs ~$5000(?) and the only way around it is to buy chips from Microchip, FTDI, etc.
even though a micro can now talk to USB without special chips?

(Like the Digistump Digispark, Adafruit Trinket, anybody know of others?)(Both Atmel at85 based)

I have read these threads:

http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1704

http://www.arachnidlabs.com/blog/2013/10/18/usb-if-no-vid-for-open-source/

I wonder what they do in China?

- Jay

[Jeff Cours]

I haven't delved into VIDs, so I'm very curious to hear what those with experience have to say, but my first (uneducated) guess would be to ask the micro's manufacturer whether you could use part of their namespace, which is essentially what happens with the special chips. For example, there's this comment regarding Atmel's micros: http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1704&start=15#p19128