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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  February  16,  2006  Janice  Wise  (202)  418-  7450 
 Janice.  Wise@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  PROPOSES  FORFEITURE  AGAINST  BEHRINGER  USA,  INC.  FOR  MARKETING  UNAUTHORIZED  EQUIPMENT 


 Washington,  D.  C.  --  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  today  proposed  a  $1  million  forfeiture  against  Behringer  USA,  Inc.  for  apparent  violation  of  the  FCC’s  equipment 
 authorization  rules. 
 The  Commission  concluded  that  Behringer  apparently  violated  the  FCC’s  rules  by  marketing  in  the  United  States  at  least  50  models  of  unauthorized  digital  audio  devices.  The 
 rules  require  that  these  devices  be  tested  and  verified  compliant  with  FCC  technical  standards  prior  to  marketing  them  in  the  United  States. 


 In  proposing  its  forfeiture  amount,  the  Commission  considered  that  Behringer  marketed  the  unauthorized  devices  for  more  than  five  years  overall  and  for  almost  a  year  after  it  was  on 
 notice  of  the  FCC's  investigation,  and  that  Behringer  derived  substantial  financial  gain  from  the  sale  of  the  unauthorized  devices. 


 Action  by  the  Commission,  February  16,  2006,  by  Notice  of  Apparent  Liability  (FCC  06-  13).  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioners  Copps,  Adelstein  and  Tate. 
 Enforcement  Bureau  Contacts:  Janice  Wise  at  (202)  418-  7450  and  Ava  Holly  Berland  at  (202)  418-  2075 
 -  FCC  - 
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