CHICAGO–U.S. Customs and Border Protections officers at Chicago O’Hare’s International Mail Branch seized more than 77,000 Rick and Morty Vape Pens on March 9. The shipment, originating from Shenzhen, China, was heading to a distribution company in Georgia.
CBP officers examined two shipments of 258 boxes to determine the admissibility of the shipments, and discovered the boxes contained Rick and Morty vape pens. The officers found popular cartoon characters on the vape pen packaging and suspected the vape pens violated copyright and trademark laws.
CBP reached out to Warner Bros. Entertainment INC, and it was confirmed they had not licensed their “Rick and Morty” copyright for vape pens. CBP Import Specialists determined the shipments of vape pens was infringing upon the “Rick and Morty” copyright. CBP officers seized 77,400 vape pens. If the pens were real, the MSRP for the pens would have been worth $1.55 million.
“Often CBP seizes vape pens because they violate FDA guidelines, but these parcels violate copyright laws which adds to the charges and complexity of the case,” said Shane Campbell, Area Port Director-Chicago. “Counterfeit products are unsafe for consumers, harm the economy, damage the revenue and image of the companies, and could cost American jobs.”
Sold in underground outlets and on third party e-commerce websites, counterfeit commodities fund smugglers and members of organized crime. Consumers often believe they are buying a genuine product but soon realize the item is substandard.
