It isn't a racket-the manufacturer 'authorizes' dealers that have been trained to understand their product, how it should be configured and installed, and what applications it is good for. It also allows the manufacturer to ensure that a certain quality of person/store is representing their product. For a brand like Rotel they don't want a minimum wage kid at Circuit City selling their gear. The kid may not appreciate the difference between the $300 Sony and the $1300 Rotel with similar bullet points next to the price tag. Furthermore, the manufacturer has no way of verifying that the unit wasn' used as a demo unit or a resold DOA unit.
