Bootlegs, knockoffs, counterfeits, whatever you want to call them, these illicit toys continue to make their way into the market.
Thanks to the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of New York/Newark, more than $1.3 million worth of counterfeit toys are out of the distribution channels this week. According to the CBP, a shipment of toys from China was inspected upon its arrival in late November. Officers submitted digital images of the toys to CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center for Excellence and Expertise (CEE) who contacted IP owners at Mattel and MGA Entertainment to determine that the shipment was indeed counterfeit.
On Dec. 9, a total of 141,112 counterfeit UNO card games, 9,600 LOL Surprise! Under Wraps balls, and 1,980 LOL Surprise! Under Wraps capsule toys were seized.
“Once again, Customs and Border Protection has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the American consumer against the proliferation of substandard and potentially unsafe counterfeit consumer goods,” says Troy Miller, director of CBP’s New York Field Office. “Enforcing intellectual property rights laws is a CBP priority trade mission. We will continue to work closely with our trade and law enforcement partners to identify and seize counterfeit merchandise that could potentially harm our nation’s consumers and businesses.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents based in Newark, New Jersey are investigating the origin of the shipment and its intended destinations.
