Grumpy_Mike:
There will always be a bit of margin they add and a tolerance from device to device so pushing beyond what the data sheet says is possible, but it dosn't make it any the less a very stupid moronic thing to do.
This is one of the most important things to keep in mind while reading datasheets. While primarily informative documents; they also serve a role as marketing documents, specifically to designers and engineers. Both purposes have no room for humility, every aspect of the part the manufacturer believes relevant to its use will be included. About the only reason a component would capable of reliable performance of some type beyond what is written in the datasheet is that the manufacturer didn't bother to test that particular case. This last point is why the "name brands" of the electronics industry tend to have longer datasheets with more performance charts and greater information about potential applications, they simply can afford to run more validation testing. However, no matter who made the component they would not intentionally downplay or neglect any potential positive aspect of its performance.