Thousands of “Illegal” Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI Cables to be Recalled

HDMI Org, the agent responsible for licensing the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cables, has announced that any company manufacturing Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables will have to stop production and recall the products.

The firm has decided that this kind of cable is out of the HDMI specification as it only has one HDMI Connector end. Now, thousands of HDMI cables are being recalled.

“We are committed to protecting the over 1,000 HDMI adopters and the many consumers who use HDMI products by enforcing the HDMI trademark against counterfeiters,” said Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. “It is our goal to have only legitimate and authentic HDMI products on the market and CBP enforcement is one of many strategies we utilize as a part of our larger global strike against counterfeiters.”

Since January 2010, 32 shipments containing fake HDMI products such as DVD players, cables and adapters and several other electronic projectors have been seized or destroyed at the US ports, including Alaska, California, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Washington State and Virginia.

HDMI Org has announced its successful collaboration with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to implement intellectual property rights and trademark protection for the HDMI standard and help CBP frontline personnel identify counterfeit goods and prevent them from entering the United States.

Companies like Dell, Toshiba, Apple, and HP use DisplayPort, but peripheral and accessory manufacturers sell illegal cables to use with the devices, the firm’s official website reported.