Company scores historic $5 million judgment on counterfeit AV

Audio company L-Acoustics has notched a massive legal win in its ongoing crusade against counterfeit AV, securing a record $5 million in damages against a Florida AV rental company accused of trafficking fake L-Acoustics speakers.

The judgment, handed down this month by a federal court in Tampa, caps a year-long investigation that saw L-Acoustics private detectives seize over 100 counterfeit units from Se7ven Sound Music late last year. Tests revealed the gear to be “inferior and unsafe” copies designed to dupe end users and promoters.

“Our customers need confidence in the L-Acoustics name and the integrity of our products,” said L-Acoustics’ senior lawyer Laurent Ostojski in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for counterfeiting.”

Protecting Yourself

On a recent episode of AVWeek, our panelists discussed the implications of purchasing counterfeit AV gear. Manufacturers are where the first preventative step starts. Their relationships with tech factories are crucial in stopping the availability of fake gear.

Next are the dealers. AV integrators need to make certain they are logging serial numbers of equipment going into projects. Those companies have a responsibility, as well, to ensure that the technology they install is from the original company.

Finally, it’s also on the customer. Once you get the equipment list with serial numbers, register them. That registering process includes the serial number. It’s a great safeguard against this problem.

What Counterfeit AV means to you

It’s a message the audio gear powerhouse has been sounding for years as it cracks down on counterfeit AV gear flooding global markets —though never at this volume.

L-Acoustics says the record ruling, a first for the pro audio biz, should reverberate across an industry still rattled by reports of dodgy counterfeit gear combusting at events. Indeed, beyond subpar sound, the company warns its knockoff speakers and subs can expose crews and crowds to all kinds of hazards.

L-Acoustics’ also notes its fake-fighting task force has notched wins in China, working with authorities to jail counterfeit peddlers and destroy their wares. This is a huge step as China has been reluctant in the past to go after counterfeiters.

The company says anyone suspecting fakes can report them via stopcounterfeits@l-acoustics.com.