Behringer

Behringer is an audio equipment company founded by the Swiss engineer Uli Behringer on 25 January 1989, in Willich, Germany. Behringer was the 14th largest manufacturer of music products in 2007. Behringer is a worldwide, multinational group of companies, with direct marketing presence in ten countries or territories and a sales network in over 130 countries around the world.

Not to be confused with Beringer.

Behringer
Typeprivate
Genreaudio equipment
Founded25 January 1989 (1989-01-25) in Germany
Key people
Uli Behringer (Founder and CEO)
ProductsAudio and lighting equipment, musical instruments
Number of employees
3,500
ParentMusic Tribe
Websitewww.behringer.com

Though originally a German manufacturer, it now manufactures its products in China. Behringer produces unlicensed recreations of equipment by other companies, which has led to legal challenges.

Company organization

Behringer is owned by Music Tribe, a holding company founded and chaired by Uli Behringer,[1] and is based in the British Virgin Islands. Behringer owns the audio companies Midas, Klark Teknik, and Bugera,[2] and the electronic manufacturing services company Eurotec. In June 2012, Music Group acquired loudspeaker system company Turbosound, formerly owned by Harman.[3][4]

History

Foundation and early development

Company founder, Uli Behringer, was born 1961 in Baden, Switzerland. Behringer's father was a church organist and nuclear physicist; his mother a pianist and interpreter; his uncle a professor of composition at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich; and his aunt a classical singer and pianist. At the age of four, Uli Behringer started to learn piano.[5] When he was five years old, his father built his own church organ with over 1000 pipes and integrated them into the family home.[6] Behringer helped his father build the organ. At the age of 16, he built his first synthesizer, the UB1.[7][8]

Marketing, manufacturing, and acquisitions

While Behringer products were manufactured in Willich, Germany, many of the individual components were imported from mainland China. In 1990, to lower production costs, Behringer shifted production from West Germany to mainland China. Initially, subcontractors were engaged to produce the equipment. By 1997 Uli Behringer had relocated to Hong Kong to better supervise manufacturing quality.

CoolAudio acquisition
The certified EMC testing facility in Behringer City

In May 2000, Behringer acquired the rights to the entire CoolAudio technology from Intersil Corporation, a US-based semi-conductor manufacturer specializing in integrated circuits for audio applications. The acquisition included an extensive intellectual property portfolio and licensees such as Alpine and Rowe, among others.[9]

Behringer City

In 2002, Behringer completed its own factory, named "Behringer City," in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, China after it consolidated more than ten separate production locations into one vertically integrated plant, comprising eight buildings where electronics, speakers, guitars, and digital pianos are produced. This strategy was different than that taken by other musical instrument companies at the time who relied on third party manufacturers. Choosing to run a self-contained plant allowed Behringer a greater level of quality control. The 1,200,000-square-foot (110,000 m2) manufacturing complex in Zhongshan ships more than 2.5 million Behringer products per year to markets around the globe. The plant turns out over 50,000 mixers per month.

Clones
The Behringer RD-8 drum machine (top) is based on the Roland TR-808 drum machine (bottom).[10]

Behringer produces unlicensed recreations of equipment by other companies, including the Minimoog, Pro-One, and Roland TB-303, and drum machines such as the Roland TR-808.[11] Creating clones of older hardware is legal where the patents have expired.[11]

FCC dispute

In February 2006, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Behringer $1M,[12] issuing a Notice of Apparent Liability against Behringer, claiming that 50 of the company's products had not been tested for conducted and radiated emissions limits as required by US law,[13] and noting that Behringer continued to sell the products for a year after being notified.[12] Behringer's position was that they believed that since the units had passed stringent European CE standards, they would also comply with FCC verification requirements.[12] According to Behringer, it had overlooked the differences in testing standards and procedures under FCC and European requirements. The company has since implemented a complete UL certified safety and EMC testing laboratory under the UL Certified Witness Program, including in-house audits and global regulatory review systems.[14]

In June 1997, the Mackie company (now LOUD Technologies) accused Behringer of trademark and trade dress infringement, and brought suit seeking $327M in damages.[15][16] The claims were later rejected by the court. In their suit, Mackie said that Behringer had had a history of copying products by other manufacturers and selling them as their own.[17] The Mackie suit detailed an instance, in which Behringer was sued by Aphex Systems for copying the Aural Exciter Type F. In that case Aphex Systems won DM690,000.[17] The Mackie suit also mentioned similar cases filed by BBE, dbx and Drawmer.[17] On 30 November 1999, the U.S. District Court in Seattle, Washington, dismissed Mackie claims that Behringer had infringed on Mackie copyrights with its MX 8000 mixer, noting that circuit schematics are not covered by copyright laws.[18][19][20]

In 2005, Roland Corporation sued to enforce Roland's trade dress, trademark, and other intellectual property rights with regard to Behringer's recently released guitar pedals. The companies came to a confidential settlement in 2006 after Behringer changed their designs.[21]

In 2009 Peavey Electronics Corp. filed two lawsuits against various companies under the Behringer/Music Group umbrella for patent infringement, federal and common law trademark infringement, false designation of origin, trademark dilution and unfair competition.[22] In 2011 The Music Group filed a countersuit against Peavey for "false advertising, false patent marking and unfair competition."[23]

"Kirn CorkSniffer"

In March 2020, Behringer published a mock video for a synthesizer, the "KIRN CorkSniffer", which appeared to mock music technology journalist and synthesiser developer Peter Kirn. The video received criticism and accusations of using antisemitic imagery. Company founder Uli Behringer issued a response on Facebook, saying the video had been intended as "pure satire by our marketing department".[24] The apology was deleted the following day.[25]

See also

References
  1. "Behringer: Movers and Shakers". behringer.com. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  2. Prown, Pete (February 2012). "Hail-able: The Bugera 212V-BK". Vintage Guitar.
  3. "MUSIC Group". music-group.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  4. "Behringer's Music Group acquires Midas and Klark Teknik". pro-music-news.com. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  5. "Interview: Uli Behringer, seine Erfolgsgeschichte". AMAZONA.de (in German). 15 November 2009. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  6. Note: Behringer's father had bought the organ from a church demolition in 1965.
  7. "Interview & Reisereport: Uli Behringer 2019 in China". AMAZONA.de (in German). 8 May 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  8. "The Behringer Story". Behringer. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  9. "Behringer Acquires CoolAudio" (Press release). Behringer. 1 May 200. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  10. Sherbourne, Simon (January 2020). "Behringer RD-8 Rhythm Designer". Sound on Sound. SOS Publications Group. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  11. Warwick, Oli (8 April 2017). "Attack of the clones: Is Behringer's Minimoog a synth replica too far?". Fact. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  12. Gearwire.com. 14 June 2007. "Behringer Fined One Million Dollars By FCC." Archived 17 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 4 October 2009.
  13. Radio Currents Online, 20–26 February 2006 Archived 16 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Behringer Resolved FCC Compliance Issues Before Recent Ruling". Musiciansnews.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  15. Loud Technologies Inc. LTec Quarterly Report (10-Q) Item 1. Legal Proceedings Archived 25 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Mackie Designs Inc. Files Lawsuit to Stop "Knockoff" Products... | Business Wire | Find Articles at Bnet.com
  17. Verna, Paul. Billboard, 5 July 1997. "Mackie Sues Over Knockoffs: Behringer, Sam Ash Are Defendants." Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  18. "Mackie/Behringer lawsuit. | [[The Music Trades]] | Find Articles at Bnet.com". Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2007.
  19. The Music Trades, February 1999. Archived at Entrepreneur.com as "Mackie/Behringer Lawsuit." Retrieved on 8 September 2009.
  20. "Mackie Designs Inc v. Behringer Specialised studio equipment (UK) Ltd, Ulrich Bernhard Behringer & Behringer Spezielle Studiotechnik GmbH [1999] EWHC Ch 252 (22nd February, 1999)". Bailii.org. 23 April 1999. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  21. "Behringer and Roland Settle Lawsuit". 10 April 2006. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  22. "Peavey Files Lawsuits Against Behringer, Intellectual property issues cited". Sonicstate.com. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  23. Cooper, Gary. "Behringer's MUSIC group files US suit against Peavey". Musical instrument industry news. MI Pro. Archived from the original on 2 May 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  24. March 2020, MusicRadar03. "Behringer forced to apologise after bullying row". MusicRadar. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  25. March 2020, MusicRadar04. "Behringer deletes 'CorkSniffer' apology as Peter Kirn tells people not to smash up their synths". MusicRadar. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.