US Customs and Border Patrol seized 1600 counterfeit Roku devices in Pittsburgh, Trib Live reported this week. The devices, which would have had a retail value of $80,000 if they were authentic, were shipped from China earlier this month and were being sent to Butler County.
“When something becomes popular, you have places in China and Hong Kong that are going to mass produce them,” said customs mid-Atlantic region public affairs officer Steve Sapp.
Officials also noted that knockoff products like the confiscated Roku devices are made of substandard materials and are likely to break easily.
“Customs and Border Protection officers remain committed to protecting the intellectual property rights of businesses while protecting consumers against potentially harmful counterfeit products,” said Kathleen Killian Schafer, CBP’s acting port director for the Port of Pittsburgh. “Consumers should be aware that counterfeit goods pose a health and safety threat and should protect their families by purchasing safe, authentic goods from reputable vendors.”
Trib Live reports that customs seized about $4.3 million in counterfeit products daily, on average, according to department statistics.
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