CBP donates bogus toys to needy kids

CBP donates bogus toys to needy kids    What's Santa bringing this year? For needy kids in Montana, knockoff toys from China.
   The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Tuesday donated nearly $200,000 worth of name-brand knockoff action figures to the Toys for Tots program in Montana.
   The toys ' 3,876, 12-inch action figures ' were seized last November at the Montana/Canada border for trademark violations. They were being shipped from China, through Canada, to an importer in California.
   California officials estimate that upwards of $10 billion in counterfeit goods flow into the state each year, most originating in China.
   The toys were formally confiscated on Jan. 10. Customs officials then asked for authorization to donate the seized goods to Toys for Tots, and the infringed manufacturer agreed. The toys will be distributed during the holiday season.
   In trademark seizure cases, when the brand owner does not authorize the donation, the merchandise usually is destroyed or sold for export only, according to a Customs news release.
   Toys for Tots is dedicated to ''delivering a message of hope and bringing the joy of Christmas'' to needy children across the country, the release said.