One of the unfortunate consequences of being the maker of a popular product is the appearance of fraudulent imitation. Le Luth Doré ® is not immune to this problem. These imitations in no way meet the quality standards Le Luth Doré ®. The brands “Le Luth Doré Paris ®" and "LLD ®", the books and the instruments sold on this site, or by an authorized reseller and distributor, are the exclusive property of the French company Le Luth Doré SAS - Beware of imitations!
What is an imitation?
This is when an unauthorized manufacturer fraudulently reproduces or imitates the products of another manufacturer without permission. Fraudulent manufacturers usually copy a product or the brand name of another manufacturer and affix it to their products to make consumers believe that it is an original product. A seller of counterfeit goods risks seizure of his goods as well as penal sanctions (3 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 euros or 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 euros if the seller is shown to be part of an organized network).
Poor quality of the products
The biggest victims of these fake products are our potential customers, who may have bought them in good faith, but believing them to be a "good deal". The victims also include those who purchase them knowing that they are not original Le Luth Doré ® products but hope, that they are at least of "comparable" quality. Unfortunately for them, this is never the case!
Authorized dealers
We strongly advise our customers to buy only from our online store www.leluthdore.com or from authorized dealers and distributors of Le Luth Doré ®. If you see similar products or others with the brand Le Luth Doré ® sold at prices "too good to be true", it is very likely that they are imitation products. Be particularly wary of lute and lute cases offered at abnormally low prices on e-commerce sites online.
Forgery is a crime
Forgery is an offense that consists in violating the intellectual property of a company by imitating its products, whether or not it affixes its trademark, without having the right to do so (in particular without the company having granted a license authorizing the use of its trademark). This is a type of crime that causes considerable harm to companies such as Le Luth Doré ® that make often significant investments to create new products. In addition, we insist, imitation products are always of poor quality and they can be ineffective, even dangerous.
What do you risk if you buy an imitation?
You should be aware that you can be searched at an airport or at borders by customs officers immediately as you attempt to enter France. If the authorities discover counterfeit goods in your luggage, they can seize and destroy them and fine you up to 2 or 3 times the price of the fraudulent item.
You risk in addition to these sanctions, penal sanctions with of fines of up to 300,000 euros and 3 years of imprisonment.
Note also that counterfeit products do not all comply with French and European safety and hygiene standards. You may therefore be in possession of a defective item or containing substances dangerous to your health.
If this should happen to you, you would have very little chance of being able to sue the vendors because they are difficult to track and identify.
Contact us
Le Luth Doré ® can not guarantee the authenticity of a product purchased from any unauthorized dealer. Before buying from an online seller, check that it is an authorized dealer Le Luth Doré ® dealer by contacting us by e-mail : contact@leluthdore.com