Fake Barbies seized at Texas border checkpoint
U.S. Customs officers at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso, Texas, recently seized thousands of counterfeit Barbie dolls in two containers after an investigation determined the toys were fraudulent.
The importer paid $30,000 for the dolls, but the suggested manufacturer's retail price is eight to 10 times that amount, Customs and Border Protection said.
In both cases, CBP said it detained the containers in November after shipping documents raised suspicions about the authenticity of the goods. Closer examination determined that the dolls did not bear the Barbie name or trademark even though their appearance and packaging was very similar to the genuine item. CBP contacted toy maker Mattel to confirm that the dolls were knockoffs of its Barbie collection.
The agency officially confiscated the 447 cartons of dolls last week.
CBP in the past two years has initiated several initiatives to improve its ability to identify intellectual property rights violations.
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