Sennheiser launches new measures to tackle product piracy

Sennheiser store — Sennheiser is intensifying its efforts to protect consumers and its brand from the problem of product piracy.

The company is launching a new system that will enable customers and retailers to check the authenticity of a product using a smartphone or computer.

In future, Sennheiser packaging and products will be protected with special labels, called PrioSpots.

These labels contain a QR code that can be scanned by a smartphone or computer in order to confirm the product’s authenticity.

The global market for counterfeit electronic products is estimated to be worth 74 billion euros per year.

Not only do companies such as Sennheiser lose out on sale but customers are left with sub-standard goods, in this case, in the form of build and sound quality.

The system has been used across Europe already but is now set to be deployed worldwide.

Last October, Sennheiser filed a series of lawsuits against more than 100 pirates it claimed to have identified operating in the US.

This was followed by Amazon limiting the sale of Sennheiser and Monster headphones in the UK by third-party sellers.

Worried about buying fake headphones? Read our in-depth guide on 'How to avoid buying fake headphones'.

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Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).