Now that I am checking, I fear this "Arduino MEGA 2560 R3 by Arduino " from Amazon and CanaKit is also a counterfeit. It looks very similar to the photograph here, says MADE IN ITALY and has the ARDUINO TM MEGA logo. But I found some differences in the component side silk screen and circuit board, relative to the photograph here.
Differences compared to the photo here:
On the board I received, the voltage regulator pins are labeled 1 2 3.
The USB converter chip has a 1 next to the first pin.
The four holes between the USB chip and the six pin header near AREF are not tinned.
The zeros in some but not all of the header label numbers such as "A0" or "A10" or "SDA20" do not have diagonal bars through them.
In addition, on the white noncomponent side, the map of Italy looks different from the photo here. The northern border is a smooth arc with no indentations in Lombardy or other features, and the Apulia peninsula is wider than Sicily.
Can I conclude this is counterfeit? Meaning, not open source clone, but flat-out trademark infringing counterfeit?
Can I do anything about it other than yell at Amazon and write a nasty review that they won't print? Maybe donate the damn thing to a lawsuit for evidence or something?
Note I stopped buying from Amazon and just placed an order on this web site yesterday. I am only now making discoveries about things I ordered before my education happened.