Knockoff Gear: Melbourne Company Named

6 MARCH 2014

(Updated 7 March 2014 at end)

When Steve Devine started a Facebook Group against Knock Off Equipment, he had no idea whether anyone was interested. They sure were, and now the Group (now administered by CX) has identified a Melbourne based importer offering fake Martin Audio loudspeaker and amplifier products, under the Martin Brother brand. Some of these turned up at events on the North Coast of NSW, triggering a flurry of comments on the Facebook Group.

Final Link Audio Pty Ltd, at 176 Swann Drive, Derrimut (Victoria) openly offer for sale Martin Brother Audio, with apparently identical product to that sold by Martin Audio Ltd of the UK. At presstime, the Final Link Audio website offered these products:

Blackline Series F8, F10, F12 and F15 speaker boxes

Further models offered are the F215,  S15 and S18 and S218 subwoofers.

In the ‘Line Array’ category, Final Link Audio would love to sell you a W8L, or a W8LC, W8LS, W8LMD, W8CT or W8CM.

Tony Russo, a director of Martin Audio importer TAG, confirmed they were taking action against Final Link Audio today. Martin Audio Ltd are understood to be examining legal options in relation to this blatant infringement of their intellectual property.

Final Link Audio is owned by Shane Anthony Lewis aged 45 from Melton in Victoria, in partnership with Kylie Joon Sampson of the same address.

Don’t expect to see Final Link Audio in the pages of CX Magazine or at CX Roadshow.

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UPDATE: This received from Final Link Audio:

We have never purchased or sold Martin brother products. We did talk to them about 3 years ago about re- selling them until we found out they  made copies.

The only reason MBA was on our new site was the developer copied content from our old site to the new site, and they were instructed to take it off. If you want confirmation of this I will arrange it.

MBA products are found all over the net, Alibaba, EBay ect and I have heard of people that hire them out in NSW & QLD.

You published my company, my personal name and a non company partners name on this forum without even contacting us first to confirm anything, this is defamation!

I would appreciate you taking back these damaging words and publishing that we don’t and have never sold MBA.

Regards
Shane lewis