U.K. Internet Counterfeiter Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison

Monster, Inc., a world manufacturer of premium lifestyle headphones, announced that rogue Internet trader Michael Reeder, 35, of Carbis Close, Port Solent, Portsmouth, who was convicted on March 19th of 13 offences under the Trade Marks Act, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by Portsmouth Crown Court in the U.K. This is one of the heaviest sentences ever levied against a counterfeit trader of Monster products in the U.K., and marks a major step forward in Monster’s continuing global battle to protect consumers and retailers against purveyors of counterfeit, unregulated products.

Reeder’s arrest, conviction and sentencing follow a complex 18-month operation conducted by the United Kingdom Trading Standards Service (TSS) in partnership with Monster. Monster, working with its investigative firm C3i Europe, Ltd., launched the initial investigation that led to the February 2011 raid resulting in Reeder’s arrest and conviction. The sentencing follows the largest seizure ever of counterfeit Monster products in the U.K.

David Tognotti, Monster’s General Manager & Vice President of Operations, noted: “Monster would like to thank the TSS for their diligence in carrying out such a successful anti-counterfeiting operation. Monster will remain vigilant and aggressive in its fight against counterfeiters around the world. The sale of counterfeit products literally hurts everyone, including manufacturers and retailers, but most especially honest consumers who might have no idea that the goods they purchase are not genuine.”

All counterfeit products uncovered during the investigation and prosecution of Michael Reeder are being destroyed.

As part of its continuing global effort to combat counterfeiting, Monster is currently working with federal and state law enforcement in the U.S., as well as the EU, China, and Australia to stop the illegal and divisive manufacture and trade of counterfeit Monster products globally. The company has been successful with several key raids and arrests both in China and the U.S. and has a number of robust anti-counterfeit investigations underway.

To help fight counterfeiting globally, Monster also offers purchasers of its products a “Before You Buy” option that allows them to check the authenticity of their product before buying. By visiting the customer support section of the Monster website (http://www.monstercable.com/where_to_buy/), consumers can either enter the product’s serial number manually or scan the bar code with a scanning app to verify that it is a genuine Monster item at the time of purchase.

Source: Monster, Inc.