Just a week after its legal victory against Dr. J Projectors, Epson has won another lawsuit—this time against Comaogo—for falsely advertising projector brightness. A default judgment requires Comaogo to pay over $390,000 in damages and bans the company from selling projectors both online and in retail stores. The case sheds light on misleading projector specifications and reinforces the need for standardized measurement methods to protect consumers.

The lawsuit centered around Comaogo advertising its projectors with a brightness of 9,500 lumens—an impressive number on paper. However, independent testing using the ISO 21118 standard showed the actual brightness was only 110 lumens—just 1% of what was promised. The court ruled that these exaggerated claims misled customers, gave Comaogo an unfair advantage over honest competitors, and hurt the credibility of the projector industry.

As a result, Comaogo is now prohibited from making false advertising claims and selling projectors, whether on Amazon or in retail stores. The ruling sends a strong message that deceptive marketing won’t go unnoticed.

Epson has been pushing for more transparency in the projector market, and this case highlights why that matters. Brightness should be measured using established industry standards like ISO 21118 for White Brightness and the Information Display Measurement Standards (IDMS) for Color Brightness. These guidelines ensure that consumers can compare projectors accurately before making a purchase.

The issue? Some manufacturers use vague or misleading terms like “Lux,” “LED lumens,” or “Lamp Brightness” to make their projectors seem brighter than they actually are. Since these numbers don’t follow standardized testing, they can give buyers a false sense of what they’re getting. Epson’s lawsuit is a reminder to double-check specifications before hitting that “Buy” button.

“Consumers count on companies to provide reliable and accurate product information and performance specs,” said Mike Isgrig, vice president, consumer sales and marketing, Epson America. 

“As an ongoing issue, brands that are falsifying White Brightness claims are not only hurting the end-user experiences of consumers, but also the overall perception of projection viewing, damaging the industry as whole. The highly inaccurate White Brightness claims by Comaogo is an example of gross negligence on the part of a brand and its commitment to truth in advertising.”

By holding Comaogo accountable, Epson isn’t just protecting its own reputation—it’s helping the entire projector market by ensuring fair competition and honest marketing. Removing misleading products from online platforms benefits consumers and retailers alike, making it easier for buyers to find projectors that truly meet their needs.

For shoppers, this case serves as a warning to be cautious when browsing projectors online, especially on platforms like Amazon. If a projector’s brightness claim seems too good to be true, it’s worth verifying whether the numbers are based on industry standards.

Epson’s legal win is part of a broader effort to clean up deceptive marketing in the home theater and business projector industry. While misleading claims are still common in online marketplaces, cases like this set an important precedent. Manufacturers and sellers now have more reason to be truthful about their specs, and consumers can make better-informed decisions when shopping for a projector.

With Comaogo out of the picture and facing a hefty financial penalty, this case might make other brands think twice before inflating their numbers. In the long run, sticking to standardized brightness measurements will create a fairer, more trustworthy marketplace for everyone.

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