It’s not only the Australian Customs and Border Protection Services (ACBPS) that are protecting the borders. Over in America, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers are hard at work too.
At the beginning of May, CBP officers made a “loud” discovery at the International and Bulk Mail Centre in Jersey City, N.J. More than 185 counterfeit guitars were found, with a street level of approximately USD1 million.
CBP officers began by examining several large parcels. They discovered five guitars that were marked with Gibson, Les Paul, Paul Reed Smith and Martin trademarks. The goods were also marked with Made in U.S.A.
Officers immediately questioned the authenticity of goods as they were of poor quality, packaging, and had an incorrect country of origin.
Since the original discovery, CBP officers have also uncovered another 180 counterfeit guitars bearing the Epiphone, Fender, Taylor and Ernie Ball trademarks. All have been shipped from the same facility.
Business cards found in the shipment noted a Chinese website, which indicated that the guitars could be bought for as little as USD200 to USD500. The manufacturers suggested retail price for the legitimate guitars is between USD2000 for basic models and USD54,000 for signature models.
“CBP is on the forefront of protecting the American economy and trademark holders. Counterfeit goods pose a serious threat to the consumer and economic loss to American business,” said Robert E. Perez, director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “Enforcing intellectual property rights (IPR) remains a priority for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”
CBP has seized all items – they will now be destroyed. That’s Rock and Roll for you.
Image and Source credit: cpv.gov
