Thousands of counterfeit Gibson electric guitars were seized at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, making it the largest counterfeit musical instrument seizure on record. The seized guitars had a potential value of over $18.7 million if they were authentic. Authorities mentioned that consumers should be cautious when buying musical instruments from third-party sources and emphasized that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
The guitars, intercepted from Asia in ocean containers, were confirmed to be counterfeit by Gibson, a renowned guitar brand known for legendary models like the Les Paul and SG. Gibson highlighted that their authentic guitars are only made in the U.S. and provided tips on how to spot a fake guitar, such as checking the logo placement and weight.
The seizure was the result of a multiagency investigation, with no further details provided about the counterfeit operation. Federal authorities emphasized the dangers of counterfeit goods, mentioning that they can pose health and safety risks to consumers. The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition warned that counterfeit goods are often made with inferior materials in unsanitary conditions, impacting legitimate businesses.
In the 2023 fiscal year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 23 million counterfeit goods, with a total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $2.7 billion. The majority of these goods came from China and Hong Kong. Authorities reiterated the importance of combating intellectual property theft as it has broader implications beyond just financial losses.
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