Customs' Spidey Sense Tingles; Fake Merch Seized
U.S. Customs busts faux Spidey shipment
Thursday, Jan 7, 2010 | Updated 2:54 PM PDT
U.S. Customs personnel seized thousands of children's clogs with a counterfeit Spiderman design, shipped by sea from China and set to retail for more than $750,000, an official said Saturday.
The 552 cartons of counterfeit merchandise were mixed in with a shipment of shoes without the superhero's logo or image and discovered on Aug. 11, according to a statement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
"The discovery of the counterfeit items confirms the recent advancements of CBP's strategy in making intellectual property rights enforcement a priority," said Kevin Weeks, director of field operations in Los Angeles for CBP.
Customs officials said 2008 was a record breaking year for seizures at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex, with more than $71.4 million dollars of counterfeit goods confiscated.
