Image of seized speakers, source: CBP.gov

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) media release, officers seized 1,626 counterfeit Edison Professional speakers in Philadelphia earlier this week. If the Edison speakers were authentic, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price would have been approximately $253,572.

The speakers arrived in two shipments from China destined for an address in Los Angeles. CBP suspected the speakers were counterfeit because of poor packaging and markings. CBP’s Electronics Centers for Excellence and Expertise, confirmed the Bluetooth markings on the speakers were counterfeit.

My guess is these speakers were to be sold through the “white van” scams where people sell supposedly high end speakers or counterfeit speakers from a van. The pitch is that the speakers are “leftovers” from an installation and the installers were told to get rid of them.

CBP claims counterfeit goods cause revenue loss, damage the US economy and threaten the health and safety of Americans. CBP claims in 2018 over $3.7 million worth of good were seized daily for intellectual property rights (IPR) violations.

In our practice, most of the IPR are for fake markings such as the “UL” or “Bluetooth” or “USB” logos in addition to our frequent seizures of Apple and Samsung phones. Protip – if you import legos, that’s fine, but do not include the minifigure head – it will be seized.

If you have had a Customs seizure for IPR violations, contact experienced seizure attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.