The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency
busted a counterfeit shipment of National Basketball Association
championship rings at Los Angeles International Airport. This crackdown
comes before the sport’s pre-season start on Sept. 30.
Photo credit Fox News
In a press release
sent out Wednesday, the federal agency reported there were 28 rings
seized that violated protected trademarks and designs for 11 NBA teams.
The report also noted that if found genuine, the seized rings would have
an approximate manufacturer suggested retail price of $560,000.
The
discovery was made by U.S. CBP officers working in the airport’s cargo
operations department. During an enforcement exam, the officers found
the shipment had arrived from China and had a final destination in
Arizona.
Photo Credit Fox News
“The rings were found inside of a
wooden box, with the apparent intent to be sold as a collection,” the
report elaborated. “The quantity and estimated MSRP value of counterfeit
items seized are clear indications of the profits that are involved in
the illegal trade of counterfeit NBA championship rings.”
This seizure valued at over half a million dollars comes at a time when businesses and the U.S. government are trying to curb intellectual property theft from china.
