Fake clubs leave golfers in rough, CBP warns

Fake clubs leave golfers in rough, CBP warns    Some amateur golfers are failing to make par when it comes to buying legitimate equipment made overseas.
   U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday that seizures of counterfeit golf equipment from China, much of it purchased over the Internet, increased 33 percent in fiscal year 2010 ended Sept. 30, and 37 percent in fiscal year 2009.
   Through May of the 2011 fiscal year, CBP has seized 256 sets of golf equipment with a domestic value of $192,000 and an estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price of $589,000 for the real items.
   The U.S. government has placed greater emphasis in recent years on improving analytical techniques for identifying illegal shipments and confiscating fake goods.
   The seizures typically include a set of clubs, a bag, head covers and sometimes a cap. The items usually are shipped via mail or express courier to individuals in the United States.
   Direct-to-consumer delivery is a departure from past practice in which knock-off golf products entered the country inside ocean containers mixed with other goods. The Internet has made it easier for fraudulent retailers to sell cheaper goods.
   Legislation proposed in the U.S. Senate last month takes direct aim at the growing practice of online storefronts based abroad that sell fake goods. The Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 would authorize the Justice Department to force search engines, payment processors, advertising networks and Internet service providers from providing behind-the-scenes support for rogue digital storefronts. The government would also be able to take action to limit the financial flows of counterfeit stores. Infringed U.S. manufacturers could bring legal action against the owner or registrant of the site's domain name.

Example of fake golf equipment seized by CBP.

   The rogue Web sites are usually set up by overseas counterfeit manufacturers and are difficult to distinguish from authorized online retailers. They also use sophisticated search engine optimization tools and online ad placement services to make them appear higher in Web search results than legitimate Web sites.
   Counterfeit golf equipment accounted for 786 seizures last year, compared to 519 seizures in fiscal year 2009, and 327 seizures in fiscal year 2008, according to CBP.
   The agency advises consumers to contact the brand owner for authorized dealers, be skeptical of deals that appear too good to be true, check the legitimacy of foreign Web sites and know import requirements if making a purchase from an overseas retailer.
   Overall, CBP seizures of counterfeit and pirated shipments climbed 34 percent in fiscal year 2010 to 19,959. The value of goods seized dropped 27 percent to $181 million, which authorities attribute to the increased smuggling of low-value goods using express delivery and mail channels.
   The most prevalent counterfeit goods include footwear, consumer electronics, apparel, handbags and wallets, watches and pharmaceuticals. ' Eric Kulisch