Sennheiser, Shure, China Confiscate 10,000+ Fake Mics

Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG and Shure Incorporated joined Chinese anti-counterfeiting officials and raided five counterfeit manufacturers in seven different locations. More than 10,000 pieces of Shure and Sennheiser products were confiscated, making it one of the largest raids to be executed in pro audio history, the companies said.
“We asked Sennheiser to join us on this raid because we wanted to show a united front to counterfeiters and consumers alike, indicating that the industry will not tolerate these activities,” said Sandy LaMantia, President/CEO of Shure Incorporated. “We embrace fair competition, which inevitably pushes the industry forward, but we refuse to stand by idly as people attempt to deceive our consumers with inferior versions of our products bearing our name.”
Large quantities of look-alike Shure SM58(r), BG Series, and 14A models, as well as Sennheiser evolution 818, and 835 microphones were uncovered in the raid. All goods were confiscated pending an investigation by China, but preliminary inspections revealed that the counterfeit goods had poor sound quality and severe handling noise.
“Product piracy is an immense problem which damages the reputation of the whole industry. Therefore it is only logical to work together with our competitors in planning and implementing effective action against a common opponent,” said Rolf Meyer, President of Marketing and Sales at Sennheiser.