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2011-05-03
MUSIC Group Wins Major Patent Case against Peavey Electronics
Peavey Electronics Corporation has defended the failure of several of their products to meet Federal Safety and Emissions Standards (FCC) by deflecting the allegations made in US District Court by MUSIC Group. In a statement circulated yesterday, Peavey has repeatedly claimed that they are engaged in “multiple legal actions” against MUSIC Group’s brand Behringer, without disclosing either the nature or status of such actions.

In the release, Peavey cited a lawsuit filed against Behringer in 2009 for alleged patent infringement related to Feedback Location circuitry without disclosing that the presiding Judge already issued an opinion which rendered the claim as baseless. As a consequence, Peavey withdrew the claim recently but suppressed the judge’s finding and the fact that Behringer had in fact patented their own FBQ Feedback Identification system in multiple countries to defend its own intellectual property.

Another nonsensical lawsuit filed by Peavey centered on a labeling issue whereby the phrase “Patent Pending” was not replaced by “Patented” on products after the patents had been granted to Behringer in several countries. In their statement, Peavey also concealed the fact that they are the subject of a countersuit brought by MUSIC Group alleging exactly the same mislabeling issue. That case is ongoing.

“It is unfortunate that Peavey would address their declining fortunes in today’s marketplace by resorting to lawsuits against competitors and more important by cutting corners on testing and compliance. Their energies would be far better spent ensuring their products are safe for consumers and that they meet the requirements of the law rather than engaging in a confused and nonsensical attack on a successful company,” commented SVP Marketing, Costa Lakoumentas in response.

MUSIC Group has presented independent evidence in the form of test results from accredited third parties to substantiate the claims that 7 out of 10 Peavey products tested failed government safety and emissions standards (FCC). The case will be heard in the District Court of Seattle and the results will be made public as the case unfolds.

The MUSIC Group holds a substantial amount of intellectual property such as patents and trademarks. The Company will vigorously defend its rights against Peavey or anyone else.


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2011-05-02
MUSIC Group Files Lawsuit Against Peavey over Unfair Competition
The MUSIC Group has recently filed suit in U.S. District Court against Peavey Electronic Corporation for false advertising, false patent marking and unfair competition. The suit is based on Peavey’s alleged intentional mislabeling of its products in the U.S. market.

An on-going investigation by the MUSIC Group revealed that Peavey’s products are not labeled in accordance with U.S. patent laws and FCC regulations. Evidence obtained from an independent certified testing lab shows that 7 out of 10 Peavey products tested emit electromagnetic radiation in excess of current government standards.

Senior Vice President of Marketing Costa Lakoumentas commented that “The MUSIC Group has invested millions of dollars in comprehensive testing and compliance labs and in quality control programs to ensure its products are in full compliance with all regulatory standards. Additionally, we also go well beyond the requirements of U.S. regulations by certifying our products through the UL Safety Standards process, thus ensuring our products are safe for consumers. Compliance with federal regulations and safety are top priorities in the MUSIC Group and we expect other companies in the market place to take these matters as seriously as we do.”

The mislabeling lawsuit against Peavey, with its implications on compliance with government laws and FCC regulations, could have a staggering impact on the pro-audio and lighting industries where independent testing has shown a number of product sold by various manufacturers in the U.S. market are non-compliant. Companies that bypass regulatory testing don’t only break the law, they pose potential risks for consumers and create an unfair competitive advantage over manufacturers who spend on testing fees and expensive, compliance-relevant components. Under the law, distributors and dealers who sell non-compliant products are also held liable and face stiff fines and other sanctions.


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2010-10-08
John Farina Joins MUSIC Group as Chief Financial Officer
John Farina The MUSIC Group is proud to announce the addition of an integral member to our executive team. John Farina brings with him a unique blend of finance and operations expertise with over twenty-five years of financial management, corporate development and general management experience in both private and public high technology companies. He is skilled in expanding globally; optimizing return on sales and invested capital; instituting best practices across all financial disciplines; driving corporate finance initiatives; identifying, executing and integrating acquisitions; astutely managing external relations; and proficiently managing change. John has spent over twelve years in leading electronic manufacturing services companies; serving as President and CFO of Nam Tai Electronics Inc.; and as V.P. Finance, V.P. M&A and General Manager at Celestica Inc., where he was part of the founding management team. He also worked for thirteen years with IBM Corporation where he gained extensive experience in financial management, culminating in the role of Divisional Chief Financial Officer. John has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Business Administration from York University's Schulich School of Business.
John Farina commented: "I am looking forward to working with the visionary CEO Uli Behringer and The MUSIC Group to drive the company from Good to Great. The MUSIC Group has unlimited opportunities, in an exciting industry, to significantly grow the current world-recognized leading brands – MIDAS, KLARK TEKNIK, BEHRINGER and BUGERA, and expand into new market segments centered around the joys of making music. It is my privilege to partner with Uli and the exceptional team at The MUSIC Group in executing the Group vision to achieve outstanding results."

Chairman and CEO Uli Behringer replied: “We are all very excited to have John on our management team. His strong financial and manufacturing background plus extraordinary breadth in global executive management stemming from companies like IBM and Celestica are exceptional and very relevant to The Music Group. John is the ideal partner in the implementation of our new Group Vision.”


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2010-09-27
David FOOTE Joins MUSIC Group as Chief Technology Officer
David R. Foote The MUSIC Group is proud to announce the joining of another top executive. David FOOTE brings with him over 18 years of executive level IT and IS operational experience as an entrepreneur, CTO, and CEO. He has sat on both sides of the table as a founder of multiple technology startups and as an advisor to angel investors, as a developer of enterprise software, and an implementer of Tier 1 enterprise systems. David has a passion for technology driven innovation, and holds several technology patents as a primary inventor. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, California and graduated with a B.S. Cellular and Microbiology emphasis in Neurobiology.

David FOOTE commented: "I am looking forward to working with CEO Uli BEHRINGER and The MUSIC Group to enable the group vision of pushing the boundaries of automation and efficiency to deliver high quality and cost competitive pro audio products. It’s an exciting time in the pro audio market place as technology innovations, mobile computing, and social networking are transforming the industry and introducing new market segments to the joys of making music. At the
same time advances in enterprise software and cloud computing provide significant opportunities for IS and IT to drive bottom line business value. It is my privilege to be able to execute Uli’s vision and work with the team at The MUSIC Group on initiatives spanning back office business transformation to consumer facing innovation."

Chairman and CEO Uli BEHRINGER replied: “I have known David for many years and he is one of the most capable and well-rounded individuals I have ever met. David has the rare skill to understand both the commercial and technological aspect of a business. Technology only makes sense when it improves efficiency to free up time for human beings to focus on creativity.”

He continues: “The MUSIC Group has very aggressive goals in implementing state-of-the-art ERP/MRP systems plus interlinking them with Product Life Cycle and Content Management systems in order to get total visibility into every aspect of our business so our end customers will get visibility right down to the production floor where his/her product is manufactured. We are extremely excited about the implementation of our new Group Vision and David is the perfect man for the job.”


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2009-12-09
MIDAS and KLARK TEKNIK Join the MUSIC Group		 Download PDF Download PDF

We are delighted to announce that the MUSIC Group (www.music-group.com) has signed an agreement to acquire MIDAS and KLARK TEKNIK. The deal is scheduled to be completed by January 31st 2010. The two Iconic brands fit in well within the Group’s existing portfolio and will address high-end application requirements.

With over 40 years of successful history, both MIDAS and KLARK TEKNIK are legendary brands, offering the very “best of breed” products.

MIDAS has been designing and manufacturing live performance analogue and digital audio mixing consoles for the world's most demanding live sound engineers, performers and production rental companies since the early 1970s.

The award winning XL8 continues to grace the World’s most high-profile shows and installations.  In its first year, the award-winning PRO6 digital mixing console has sold more units than the industry standard Heritage 3000 did in the same period of time. The PRO6 and is now a familiar name within global touring riders.

KLARK TEKNIK is best known for its revolutionary DN360 Graphic Equalizers, which put a new level of power and accuracy into the hands of the world’s most accomplished audio engineers. From their early analogue roots, KLARK TEKNIK has become a leader in the design and manufacture of touring-grade digital signal processing and recording products. Their products are found in touring sound systems, performing arts centres and high-profile installations worldwide.

Robert Mulatz, Senior Vice President of BOSCH Communications Systems, states: “The MIDAS and KLARK TEKNIK brands have always epitomized the highest possible performance and reliability in the mixing console and signal processing markets. Within the professional audio business of BOSCH, this niche market has not been defined as a core business area due to its size and specific requirements. With the MUSIC Group, we believe we have found both the passion and the financial ability needed to grow MIDAS and KLARK TEKNIK. Of all potential buyers that were screened, we have selected the MUSIC Group as the best fit.”

Uli Behringer, Chairman of the MUSIC Group, comments: “I am thrilled and honored to join with John Oakley and his team in taking these legendary brands forward. I have immense respect for the dedication to quality, performance and customer service that this team has shown consistently over the years. While we plan to invest considerable resources and support to these brands, we also look forward to learning from the achievements of their engineers and working with them to take BEHRINGER and all of the MUSIC Group brands to a new level.”

The final word comes from Alex Cooper, MIDAS Director of Console Engineering, who said: “For over twenty years I have devoted my life to designing the finest quality audio products possible. It has always been a challenge to achieve the very best performance at a price that the market can afford. The temptation is to cut corners, but that has never been, and will never be the MIDAS way. I am convinced that working with the MUSIC Group will provide us with advantages that will help us maintain our high standards for the long term.”

 

For more information about MIDAS or KLARK TEKNIK:

http://www.midasconsoles.com/
http://www.klarkteknik.com/


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