Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confiscated $18 million worth of counterfeit Gibson guitars in the “largest seizure of fake musical instruments” in U.S. history.
Law enforcement officials intercepted the cargo arriving in ocean containers from Asia.
Authorities seized more than 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars, which, if genuine, would have been worth $18,742,820, according to CBP.
CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center of Excellence (CPMM) assisted in estimating the retail price of the shipment.
Gibson confirmed that the intercepted guitars were fake, noting that authentic Gibson guitars are exclusively manufactured in the United States.
CBP worked on the seizure in collaboration with Gibson, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Counterfeit goods pose significant risks to shoppers’ health and safety, as they are frequently made from substandard materials, produced in unregulated and unsanitary environments, and mislabeled with inaccurate information, according to CBP.
“These fraudulent guitars may look and feel legitimate for unsuspecting consumers buying them from third-party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers, and person-to-person transactions,” said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “As we approach the busy holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention on where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if is too good to be true it probably is.”
“Intellectual property theft is not a victimless crime. Victims are American consumers, businesses, trademark holders, and people who manufacture and sell legitimate products. Often, the illicit proceeds resulting from the sale of counterfeit or unlicensed products are funneled back to support a broad range of illegal activities,” said HSI Los Angeles Deputy Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco.
“Counterfeit products harm legitimate businesses, erode consumer trust, and damage the reputation of iconic brands like Gibson,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant William Kitchin. “Beyond the economic losses, counterfeit goods often do not meet safety or quality standards, leaving consumers at risk.”
“We are grateful for the hard work that our U.S. CBP officers, HSI special agents, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators are doing to stop counterfeiting,” added Cesar Gueikian, CEO of Gibson.
“This is really emotional and personal for us, not only because of the protection of our players but because of our Gibson team at large, including the artisans at our craftories in Nashville, TN, and Bozeman, MT, who are generations of American families that have dedicated their entire lives to handcrafting Gibson instruments,” said Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson.
In fiscal year 2023, CBP seized 19,724 shipments nationwide containing nearly 23 million counterfeit goods that violated Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
The seized goods, if genuine, would have had a total manufacturer’s suggested retail price exceeding $2.7 billion.
Counterfeit goods from China and Hong Kong represented 46 percent of all seizures and accounted for 84 percent of the total value of counterfeit items seized, according to CBP.
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