Crackdown launched against Fake JBL, Infinity speaker sellers; HARMAN reveals how to spot fakes

Harman, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and parent company for brands like JBL, AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity and others has begun focusing on counterfeit JBL and Infinity audio products being sold in the country. The counterfeit market of India has been thriving and many manufacturers and sellers have been making cheap speakers and earphones and adding logos of popular brands like JBL to dupe the consumer. Now, as per a recent announcement by the company, Harman has decided to take strict legal action against manufacturers, distributors, retailers and dealers. involved in producing and selling counterfeit JBL products in India.

The company, along with law enforcement officers, went on a raid to bust these fake product sellers. During the raid,the team seized a large stock of JBL and Infinity consumer products from car accessories shops and manufacturing units located across Delhi. According to the company, the team confiscated counterfeit JBL and Infinity car speakers and subwoofers from shops and manufacturing units. Harman has also stated that it has taken appropriate criminal action against the offenders and intends to continue such investigations to curb the manufacturing and selling of counterfeit products across India.

Harman to put a stop to fake JBL products

Vikram Kher, Vice President, Lifestyle, Harman India said, “It is our constant endeavor at Harman to bring products of the highest standards and quality to our customers across the globe. Consumers being at the heart of Harman, customer experiences is one of our core values. We continue to do what is right without any compromise, and therefore strict action against the perpetrators have been taken to continue our brand promise towards our customers. We urge our customers to be cautious about spurious products in the market and purchase HARMAN products from authorized retailers, dealers and e-commerce sellers' only.”

The company has also released an advisory to help consumers identify counterfeit JBL products. Check it out below.

1. Genuine JBL and Infinity products are made with premium materials. The cheap counterfeits use substandard material which neither looks or feels good and doesn’t produce similar sound quality.

2. The cosmetic details on the fake products are not consistent with authentic JBL and Infinity products.

3. Inspect the packaging and logo placement/color. Typically, the packaging is made of flimsy material, missing key details such as certifications, place of manufacture, address, and trademark/copyright information. Logo placement is slightly off and the color does not match the genuine logo.

4. The package/product may be lightweight, smell of chemicals, or have chipped paint.

5. Research the reputation of the seller and read customer reviews when buying from an ecommerce platform like Amazon and Flipkart.