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Epson has scored a major legal win in its fight against misleading advertising in the projector market. A court has ruled in favor of Epson in a lawsuit against Dr. J, an Amazon selling partner, after finding that the company made false claims about the brightness of its projectors. As a result, Dr. J has been ordered to pay more than $580,000 in damages and is now banned from selling projectors online or in retail stores.
The case revolved around Dr. J’s claim that its projectors boasted 15,000 lumens of brightness. However, independent testing using the industry-standard ISO 21118 measurement found that the actual White Brightness was only 300 lumens—just 2% of what the company advertised.
For consumers, brightness is a key factor in choosing a projector. It directly affects picture quality, visibility, and overall performance. By dramatically inflating its brightness ratings, Dr. J misled customers into thinking they were buying a much more powerful projector than they actually were.
Epson’s legal action is part of a broader push to clean up misleading advertising in the projector industry. Standardized brightness measurements, such as those set by ISO 21118, help consumers compare products fairly. However, some companies, including Dr. J, have been using vague or misleading terms like “Lux,” “LED lumens,” or “Lamp Brightness” instead of following recognized industry standards.
Mike Isgrig, vice president of consumer sales and marketing at Epson America, stressed the importance of honest advertising. “Consumers count on companies to provide reliable and accurate product information and performance specs,” he said.
“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 Dr. J is an example of gross negligence on the part of a brand and its commitment to truth in advertising.”
The court’s ruling means that Dr. J can no longer advertise exaggerated brightness claims or sell projectors through major retailers like Amazon and Walmart. This decision not only holds Dr. J accountable but also sends a clear message to other manufacturers that deceptive marketing won’t be tolerated.
Epson is also advising consumers to be cautious when shopping for projectors online. It recommends looking for brightness ratings based on ISO 21118 or other recognized measurement standards to ensure they’re getting accurate and reliable information before making a purchase.
This case highlights the importance of transparency in the projector market. As more companies face scrutiny for misleading claims, the industry may move toward stricter adherence to standardized measurement practices. In the long run, this benefits consumers by making it easier to compare projectors and choose the right one for their needs.
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