Savannah, Ga. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Savannah intercepted and seized over 708 cartons containing DVD players and 230 cartons of flat screen TV's for trademark violations Area Port Director John Porter announced today. The shipment had a domestic value of $149,153, and a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $197,684.
The DVD players and TV's were discovered in a container that had been designated for examination. CBP officers found 4,284 DVD players and 230 cartons of flat screen televisions. The DVD players were marked with the trademarked "DVD" logo which was not authorized and the TV's with counterfeit ETL logos. Both items were found concealed in the shipping container. The ETL logo is owned by the Intertek Product Testing Company and certifies electrical safety standards of products sold in the United States. After determining the items violated trademark laws, the shipment was seized on April 19.
"CBP is charged with enforcing trade laws, and we continue to devote substantial resources to target, intercept, detain, seize and forfeit shipments of goods that violate these laws," said Area Port Director Porter. "CBP officers and import specialists are aggressively working together to intercept shipments containing counterfeit and pirated items. These seizures are a result of their dedication and hard work."
To address the ongoing threat to domestic industries and the need to identify and interdict counterfeited goods, CBP works closely with private industry, U.S. government agencies and foreign governments to stem the flow of illegal goods to protect consumers and the economy. For more information on intellectual property rights dealing with trademarks, please go to the CBP Web site.