Klon is taking Behringer‘s parent company Music Tribe to court over what it describes as a “blatant counterfeit” of its prized Centaur pedal. The lawsuit accuses Music Tribe of trademark infringement and misleading consumers, claiming the company’s actions go “far beyond the line of permissible inspiration versus unlawful copying”.
Klon founder Bill Finnegan confirmed the suit in a statement posted to the company’s official Instagram, writing: “I have never been consulted in any way about this pedal, it has never been authorised by me, and I have never had any involvement whatsoever in its design, production, or marketing.”
At the centre of the dispute is Behringer’s Centaur Overdrive, released in November 2024 and priced at just $69. It’s one of many low-cost options inspired by the Klon Centaur, a legendary overdrive pedal that often commands thousands of dollars on the resale market.
According to the complaint, Behringer’s product mirrors key visual elements of the original: a gold metal casing, a nearly identical centaur logo, and a prominent “CENTAUR” wordmark styled in the same font and colour.
Notably, the pedal also omits the company’s own branding from the faceplate (unlike most of Behringer’s releases) – a move Klon claims was intentional to mislead consumers.
Behringer’s Centaur Overdrive promo video on YouTube has also been accused of using Finnegan’s name and likeness “in a manner to suggest his involvement, endorsement, or approval”.
Per court documents, “consumers expressed extensive actual confusion (that went deliberately unabated by Defendants), with many rushing to purchase Defendants’ counterfeit pedal believing Defendants are delivering on a mass scale a discounted product licensed or endorsed by Plaintiffs.”
The suit also points out that Behringer and Music Tribe “have long had a reputation for creating cheap and inferior copies (often using plastic enclosures) of other manufacturers’ guitar pedals and other musical products, and selling such items under the ‘Behringer’ brand as well as other brands.”
In his statement, Finnegan says that he will not be publicly commenting on the dispute while litigation is pending. Those interested in buying an “authentic Centaur pedal” though, can keep an eye out for eBay auctions by Klon LLC (under the seller ID “klondirectsales”). He also reveals his plans to continue hand-building and selling new Centaur pedals through Klon’s eBay sales channel.
Renowned for creating budget-friendly music products inspired by vintage gear, Behringer has long faced criticism for blurring the line between inspiration and imitation. Many of its past releases have emulated popular designs from competitors – drawing praise for affordability, but often stirring controversy over originality and build quality.
Earlier this year, Musitronics seemingly called out Behringer for “copying” its Mu-Tron products. The firm wrote in a scathing Facebook post: “So a $2 billion German company has decided to copy a 3rd Mu-Tron product. It is being distributed, sight unseen, six month pre-order through a $31 billion investment firm which owns the largest online music store in the world. The pedal is most likely entirely made in China and will sell for less than the cost of what it takes us to produce here in the USA.”
The post Behringer’s parent company Music Tribe accused of “blatant counterfeiting” in lawsuit over Klon Centaur clone appeared first on MusicTech.
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