June 29, 11

NEWS / CBP Louisville Seizes More Than $900K in Counterfeit Watches

Louisville, IL - Louisville Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the UPS express consignment facility recently seized a shipment of counterfeit watches with a Manufacture’s Suggested Retail Price of $933,318. The shipment, imported from China, infringed upon the intellectual property rights of Armani, Cartier, Lacoste and Breitling corporations.

“This is an outstanding example of how we protect the American public from high priced sub standard counterfeit goods,” said David Murphy, Chicago CBP Director of Field Operations. “Consumers must have confidence in knowing that the products they purchase are legitimate, safe and supportive of the economy of the U.S. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”

On June 23, the parcel of 1,500 watches addressed to a business in Texas, was intercepted by CBP. Upon examination by CBP officers and CBP import specialists the watches were determined to be in violation of intellectual property rights and as a result the entire shipment was seized. The case is currently under investigation.

Ceasing the flow of counterfeit and dangerous consumer products into this country is a trade priority for CBP. Officers at the Louisville UPS facility have made over 1,100 seizures of infringing merchandise this fiscal year with an estimated MSRP of almost $20,000,000. These types of fake items consist of watches, cell phones, computer items, integrated circuits, and clothing with Disney, Apple, and Underwriters Laboratory markings.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/06282011.xml

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