As we mentioned in our conversation with Dominik Zimakowski and Tomasz Palak regarding counterfeits - which you can see at this link. L-Acoustics efficiently uses all the rights it has to defend its own products against fakes. As they recently proved.
An investigation by L-Acoustics late last year led to the seizure of 136 counterfeit products from Tampa-based rental company Se7ven Sounds Music, Inc. Along with the seizure, L-Acoustics filed a complaint against Se7ven Sounds for trademark infringement, counterfeiting and unfair competition.
This month, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division ordered Se7ven Sounds Music to pay L-Acoustics $5 million in damages, a significant achievement in the professional audio industry. L-Acoustics also won the right to destroy 136 counterfeit products seized during the investigation.
The final judgment stated that "the defendants infringed L-Acoustics' trademarks by willfully and intentionally engaging in the unauthorized manufacture, importation, offering for sale and/or rental, and sale and/or rental of goods in interstate commerce imitating L-Acoustics' products."
What is worth mentioning. The products bore counterfeit L-Acoustics trademarks, but this type of sanction is not threatened only if you see the manufacturer's trademark on the device.
Here I leave the issues for each individual to think about. On the one hand, counterfeits offer the opportunity to get into the business soon by incurring costs many times lower than arming yourself with original equipment. On the other hand, as L-Acoustics mentions on its website - "The safety risks associated with counterfeit products are not limited to suboptimal sound quality."
Keep in mind that counterfeit equipment does not undergo stringent testing, does not meet quality standards, and can pose a real danger not only to the user, but also to bystanders.
It must be said that this is probably the first such high-profile verdict in a counterfeit case, it will be interesting to see how this will develop further.
You can read the whole thing and see the photos HERE.
Manufacturer: L-Acoustics
