A jury in Indiana has found Breakers Unlimited, Noblesville, Ind., guilty of purchasing and selling counterfeit Square D circuit breakers. Schneider Electric – the parent company of Square D – filed the lawsuit in June 2007.
The amount of damages to be awarded and the scope of an injunction restricting Breakers Unlimited’s continued involvement in the market where counterfeit circuit breakers are bought and sold have yet to be decided by the court.
"Distributors, electrical contractors and users need to be aware that there are hidden and potentially deadly hazards associated with counterfeit circuit breakers," said Jim Pauley, vice president of industry and government relations at Schneider Electric.
During the course of the lawsuit, Schneider Electric discovered that Breakers Unlimited purchased counterfeit QO products in 2005 and 2006 from Pioneer Breaker & Control Supply of Austin, TX, and North American Breaker Co., Inc., of Burbank, CA, neither of which is an authorized Square D distributor.
