LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 3,000 fake Gibson electric guitars shipped from Asia have been seized by U.S. customs and…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 3,000 fake Gibson electric guitars shipped from Asia were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport, authorities said.
If the guitars had been authentic, they would have been worth $18 million, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. The agency said Gibson confirmed the intercepted guitars were counterfeits.
Gibson, founded in 1894 and based in Nashville, Tennessee, has the largest market share of high-end electric guitars and all of its guitars are hand-built in Nashville and Bozeman, Montana.
“These fraudulent guitars may appear legitimate to unsuspecting consumers who purchase them from third-party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers and person-to-person transactions,” said Cheryl M. Davies, director of CBP field operations in Los Angeles. “As the busy holiday shopping season approaches, consumers should be careful about where they buy these products and how much they pay, and if it’s too good to be true, it probably is .”
Gibson guitars have been such a must-have in the history of music that rock and roll visionary Chuck Berry was buried with his instrument, blues musician BB King affectionately nicknamed it “Lucille” and rock guitarist Eric Clapton borrowed one from George Harrison to play the song’s solo from the Beatles “While My The guitar cries softly.
“This is truly emotional and personal for us, not only because of the protection of our players, but also because of our Gibson team as a whole, including the artisans at our factories in Nashville, Tennessee and Bozeman, MT. who are generations of American families who have dedicated their entire lives to handcrafting Gibson instruments,” Beth Heidt, Gibson’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
Authorities announced the seizure Tuesday, but did not say when the guitars were seized, what country they came from or who made them.
The investigation involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is ongoing.
Intellectual property infringement is a crime punishable by a $250,000 fine and 10 years in prison.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
