CBP L.A. Seizes $218,000 in Fake Trading Card Games

CBP at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport discovered and seized 33,000 trading cards game sets in violation of Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Zexal trademarks in a shipment from China. CBP officers discovered the infringing shipment with the cards which, if genuine, the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the shipment would have been $218,000.

“This seizure is yet another example on how effective targeting and trademark expertise by CBP officers and import specialists prevent the introduction of counterfeit products into the U.S.,” said Todd C. Owen CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. Counterfeit playing cards are sold over the Internet, street markets and have been found in legitimate retail stores, said CBP. Nationwide, the total number of intellectual property rights seizures in fiscal year 2011 increased by 24% compared to fiscal year 2010, which is a 325% increase over the past decade, the agency said.