ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Rochester Port of Entry seized Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA Championship rings for bearing counterfeit trademarks.
In late April, CBP officers discovered several mini championship trophies and rings bearing NFL, NBA, and MLB trademarks during a shipment inspection. The Super Bowl rings featured logos from the San Franciso 49ers, Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and New England Patriots. The World Series rings featured logos from the New York Yankees and the NBA Championship rings featured logos from the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. There was also NCAA basketball championship rings allegedly from Syracuse University. After a thorough examination of the merchandise, all the items were determined to be not authentic and were seized for bearing counterfeit trademarks. Had these items been genuine, the total Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) value would be approximately $9,000 dollars.
“Our officers continue to play a critical role in protecting the consumer from counterfeit items,” said Rochester Port Director Ronald Menz. “Counterfeiters scam consumers into buying low quality replicas online. Our officers diligently work to protect the American consumer by intercepting this illegitimate merchandise.”
CBP has the authority to detain, seize, forfeit, and ultimately destroy imported merchandise if it bears an infringing trademark or copyright that has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office and has subsequently been recorded with CBP through the e-Recordation program https://iprr.cbp.gov/s/. Other violations can include misclassification of merchandise, false country-of-origin markings, health and safety issues, and valuation issues.
Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threatens America’s innovation economy, the competitiveness of our businesses, the livelihoods of U.S. workers, and, in some cases, national security and the health and safety of consumers. It is also against the law to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise and individual consumers may be liable for a fine even if they did not intend to import counterfeit or pirated merchandise.
If you have information about counterfeit merchandise being illegally imported into the U.S., CBP encourages you to submit an E-Allegation. The E-Allegation reporting tool provides a means for the public to anonymously report to CBP any suspected violations of trade laws or regulations related to the importation of goods into the U.S.
CBP has established an educational initiative to raise consumer awareness about the consequences and dangers that can be associated with the purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods. Information about the Truth Behind Counterfeits campaign can be found at The Truth Behind Counterfeits | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov)
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