An investigation initiated by Shure in Futian District, Shenzhen, in mainland China led to a raid by the Shenzhen Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC) on a wholesale shop, Sanze Electronics, in the Zhongdian Electronics and Technology Building on Huaqiang Road, and another at an associated warehouse.
"Counterfeiting is not just a problem for Shure," said Sandy LaMantia, Shure's president and CEO. "This is a serious issue that impacts our entire industry. Every brand of professional audio and consumer electronics is at risk because of this criminal activity. Shure continues to cooperate with other brands in joint actions and criminal prosecutions in China to present a united front against this illegal activity."
"Counterfeiters are keen to exploit the value of the Shure name," added Anita Man, managing director of Shure Asia in Hong Kong. "This is demonstrated by the fact that a large number of the products seized during the raids in Shenzhen consisted of Shure-branded earphones and were not even copies of actual Shure models. They were absolute fakes that looked nothing like our products."
Goods seized during the enforcement action included 8,500 pairs of counterfeit earphones bearing the Shure name and other well-known trademarks. Penalties imposed by the Shenzhen AIC against the wholesale outlet include the confiscation of all earphones, the requirement that the outlet cease its infringement activities immediately, and the imposition of a fine of 30,000 RMB. Penalties against the warehouse will be determined in February.
"We are deeply committed to protecting our brand and ensuring that our customers receive a genuine Shure product every time they purchase a product bearing the Shure brand," stated LaMantia. "As a manufacturer, we do not want our trademark appearing on poor quality copies produced illegally by these individuals, and we will pursue enforcement action in the interest of protecting our customers as well as our brand.
"Customers should be highly suspicious of any 'Factory Direct' deals and low prices. Whether these offers are found at retail outlets or online, our customers need to know that if something seems too good to be true...it probably is."
In addition to its vigorous anti-counterfeiting efforts in China, Shure also has mounted successful operations to uncover and halt intellectual property violations in other parts of Asia, Europe, South America, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States.
(Jim Evans)
