Thousands of counterfeit Gibson electric guitars were seized at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, in what local and federal authorities described as the “largest counterfeit musical instrument seizure on record.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers along with Homeland Security Investigations special agents and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detectives announced Tuesday that they seized over 3,000 counterfeit Gibson electric guitars. Authorities said those counterfeits, had they been authentic, would have had a value of more than $18.7 million.
“These fraudulent guitars may look and feel legitimate for unsuspecting consumers buying them from third party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers, and person-to-person transactions,” CBP Los Angeles Field Operations Director Cheryl M. Davies said in a statement. “As we approach the busy holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention on where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if is too good to be true it probably is.”
At a news conference Tuesday, authorities displayed some of the counterfeits on tables while others remained in boxes stacked in dozens of rows inside the warehouse. The seizure was a result of a multiagency investigation, in which federal and local authorities intercepted the suspected cargo that was arriving in ocean containers from Asia, according to CBP.
The agency said its Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center of Excellence assisted in estimating the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Gibson also confirmed that the guitars intercepted were counterfeit and noted that “authentic Gibson guitars are made in the (U.S.) only.”
Africa Bell, port director for the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, said during the news conference Tuesday that it was likely the fake guitars were destined for the e-commerce market.
Authorities did not provide further details on the counterfeit operation — such as how long they had been investigating, when the counterfeit guitars were seized and who was behind the operation. They said the investigation remained ongoing.
“This is really emotional and personal for us not only because of the protection of our players, but because of our Gibson team at large, including the artisans at our craftories … who are generations of American families that have dedicated their entire lives to handcrafting Gibson instruments,” Gibson chief marketing officer Beth Heidt said in a statement.
What is Gibson?
Gibson Inc. is one of the world’s most well-known guitar brands and includes various legendary models, such as Les Paul and SG. The company was founded 1894 and has made guitars played by the likes of B.B. King and Elvis Presley.
Gibson makes its electric guitars in U.S. factories in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, and its acoustic guitars in Bozeman, Montana. It sells more than 170,000 guitars annually in more than 80 countries, according to Reuters.
Gibson’s best-selling guitars cost thousands of dollars, ranging between about $2,000 to over $6,000 depending on the model, according to its website. But those prices, specifically for vintage guitars and models used by or made with popular guitarists, can drastically fluctuate.
At Tuesday’s news conference, Heidt provided tips on how to spot a fake guitar. Heidt noted that the logo placement on a counterfeit may look off or that the logo may have a bleed.
“We can pick it up immediately and tell,” Heidt said. “If you can pull up a picture of it, Gibson, look at the site. If you’re going to compare: They don’t have correct inlays. The weight of them, it feels more flimsy. There’s finish issues.”
Millions of counterfeit goods seized last year
According to CBP, the agency seized more than 19,700 shipments of goods that violated federal Intellectual Property Rights — which equates to nearly 23 million counterfeit goods — during the 2023 fiscal year. The agency said the total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of those seized goods, had they been genuine, was over $2.7 billion.
“Seizures of counterfeit goods from China and Hong Kong accounted for 46% of counterfeit seizures and 84% of the value of counterfeit seizures,” according to the CBP.
Federal authorities have repeatedly warned that counterfeit goods threaten the health and safety of consumers. The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition said counterfeiters “prey on consumer desire for low prices.”
According to the non-profit organization and the CBP, counterfeit goods are often made of inferior and dangerous materials, manufactured in uncontrolled and unsanitary conditions, and damages legitimate companies and small businesses.
“Intellectual property theft is not a victimless crime. Victims are American consumers, businesses, trademark holders and people who manufacture and sell legitimate products,” HSI Los Angeles deputy special agent in charge John Pasciucco said in a statemenbt. “Often, the illicit proceeds resulting from the sale of counterfeit or unlicensed products are funneled back to support a broad range of illegal activities.”
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thousands of fake Gibson guitars seized by federal authorities