Sennheiser says it and its customers have fallen victim to an “ever-expanding counterfeit industry,” and says it intends to defend its brand.
The company recently filed lawsuits in U.S. District Court and said it plans more. “The lawsuits target a number of Internet-based pirates and counterfeiters located throughout the United States who are engaged in the sale of counterfeit Sennheiser-branded merchandise, including the popular models CX200, CX300 II, CX380 II, CX500 and PMX80 lines of headphones,” it stated.
“The lawsuits have been filed against a variety of individuals and business entities that are conducting business throughout the United States in locations including New York, Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.”
It says it decided to act after seeing an increase of warranty returns and complaints. “Further investigation determined that the complaints originated from consumers who purchased their Sennheiser products online; often from a website based in China, or from a domestic eBay seller who acquired the counterfeit merchandise from a Chinese wholesaler of counterfeit products.”
The company says it has identified “more than 100 other domestic pirates — along with numerous domestic websites — which are targeted for further enforcement operations.”
It urged consumers to buy only from authorized Sennheiser dealers. It also posted a FAQ about counterfeits.
