Feds seized $398K in ‘counterfeit’ Apple AirPods. But a company says it’s a mistake
A shipment of counterfeit Apple Airpods valued at nearly $400,000 was seized at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, officials say.
But the company that appears to have produced the headphones thinks it was a mistake.
On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the seizure of 2,000 AirPods shipped from Hong Kong and headed to Nevada in late August. The agency estimated that merchandise, “if genuine,” could sell for $398,000.
“CBP Officers are protecting the American public from various dangers on a daily basis,” Troy Miller, director of CBP’s New York Field Operations, said in the news release. “The interception of these counterfeit earbuds is a direct reflection of the vigilance and commitment to mission success by our CBP Officers daily.”
Photos of the purportedly phony earbuds show the product looks similar to AirPods, but the packaging indicates they’re OnePlus Buds.
OnePlus responded to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s tweet about the seizure.
“Hey, give those back!” OnePlus tweeted.
In a statement to McClatchy News, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said an employee determined the earbuds appeared to violate Apple’s “configuration trademark.”
“CBP’s seizure of the earbuds in question is unrelated to the images or language on the box,” the spokesperson said. “A company does not have to put an ‘Apple’ wordmark or design on their products to violate these trademarks. The importer will have many opportunities through the adjudication process to provide evidence that their product does not violate the relevant recorded trademarks.”
OnePlus did not respond Monday to requests by McClatchy News for comment.
OnePlus seemed to reference the incident in a tweet on Monday.
In the announcement of the seizure, officials say they seized 27,599 shipments with products violating intellectual property rights last fiscal year. They estimated those products could have sold for nearly $1.5 billion.
OnePlus advertises an earphone product of the same name on its website for $79.
AirPods cost $159 while AirPods Pro are priced at $249 on the Apple website.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Feds seized $398K in ‘counterfeit’ Apple AirPods. But a company says it’s a mistake."