Counterfeit World Series Merchandise Seized in California
Nearly 1,200 items of counterfeit Major League Baseball (MLB) merchandise was seized from vendors in and around AT&T Park in San Francisco. During enforcement actions last week that coincided with the initial two World Series games, HSI special agents seized more than 1,000 phony t-shirts, along with counterfeit baseball hats and knit caps. Had the goods been genuine, they would have retailed domestically for more than $32,000.
“Preying on Bay Area baseball fans at a time when their pride and emotions are at their peak is a serious injustice in itself,” said Clark Settles, special agent in charge for HSI San Francisco. “But perhaps even more troubling is that the proceeds from the sale of counterfeit goods, more often than not, are funneled into the coffers of streets gangs and other criminal organizations, which is why HSI takes such an aggressive stance towards these illegal activities.”
The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition estimates that product counterfeiting costs U.S. businesses more than $200 billion a year in lost revenue.
During the San Francisco Giants last World Series appearance in 2010, Bay Area HSI agents seized more than 2,400 items of counterfeit MLB merchandise, including shirts, bill caps, buttons and flags. The seized clothing was ultimately donated to World Vision for distribution to needy children and families overseas.
In fiscal year 2011, intellectual property rights enforcement by HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection led to more than 24,000 seizures, a 24 percent increase compared to the previous year. The seized goods had a total value of more than $1.1 billion, based upon the manufacturer’s suggested retail price had the products been legitimate.
Source: HSI
- Sanofi to Pay $100 Million to Settle Zantac Cancer Lawsuits
- Beyond the Claim: How Social Canvassing is Transforming Insurance Fraud Detection
- EPA Designates PFAS Chemicals as Superfund Hazardous Substances
- DraftKings Sued Over ‘Risk-Free’ Bets That Were Anything But
- Millions of Recalled Hyundai and Kia Vehicles, With Dangerous Defect, Remain on Road
- California Sees Two More Property Insurers Withdraw From Market
- California Chiropractor Sentenced to 54 Years for $150M Workers’ Comp Scheme
- Mother of 8-Year-Old ‘Violently Sucked’ into Houston Hotel Pool Files Wrongful Death Suit