China jails five L-Acoustics loudspeaker counterfeiters

Working with the Chinese authorities, audio company L-Acoustics has successfully prosecuted five counterfeiters found guilty and sentenced to jail for producing and selling counterfeit copies of its loudspeakers.

As a result of the collaboration. the five were arrested after a batch of counterfeit signs, moulds, and other items were seized from premises in Shiji Town, Guangzhou.

A public hearing was subsequently held in The People's Court of Panyu District, where the suspects were found guilty of counterfeiting a registered trademark and sentenced to at least one year in prison, fined, and had their activity suspended for varying years.

The counterfeiters ended up with prison sentences of up to three years, because some were violating probation for prior similar activities.

Founded in 1984 in France, L-Acoustics is a privately-owned manufacturer of loudspeakers, audio software and other acoustic technology like amplifiers and signal processing software.

It produces around 50,000 speaker units each year that are used in live music venues and other large-scale installations, and has estimated annual revenues upwards of $100m per year.

"L-Acoustics loudspeakers are in high demand by artists worldwide [so] it's no surprise that people want to create copycats to profit from its renowned reputation," said the company in a statement.

"However, these counterfeits pose enough dangers to make people think twice about that cheap price tag. Aside from the risk of prison sentences, various safety risks are associated with deploying untested and uncertified counterfeits."

It added that fake L-Acoustics sound systems will not deliver the same performance as their originals and expose operators and the public to hazardous safety risks and even more severe legal liabilities if an accident occurs.

There’s also the risk of a safety inspection from local authorities during a show, according to the company. A lack of genuine certification of conformity can cause authorities to shut down a show or production altogether.

"To protect the company IP and our partners, not to mention users’ safety, we have dedicated significant financial and human resources to act against counterfeit products," commented Laurent Ostojski, senior legal counsel at L-Acoustics.

"Our task force continuously monitors the market for suspicious activity, and we are pleased to see that firm legal action on the part of L-Acoustics has led to punishment for parties that have been proven to use our brand illegally."