Bad apples: US customs seize OnePlus earbuds thinking they're knock-off AirPods
- Reference: 1600099747
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/09/14/us_customs_earpods/
- Source link:
THAT'S NOT AN 🍎 —
CBP officers at JFK Airport recently seized 2,000 counterfeit Apple AirPods from Hong Kong, valued at $398K had they been genuine.
Details via [1]@CBPNewYorkCity : [2]https://t.co/XMgjkfT56i [3]pic.twitter.com/Ofn9REJ9ZB — CBP (@CBP) [4]September 14, 2020
The border cops intercepted the in-ear speakers at New York's JFK Airport, with the kit en route to Nevada from Hong Kong. While OnePlus Buds do bear a passing resemblance to AirPods (they're white and use a similar dangling antenna design), they're an otherwise completely distinct product with their own branding, packaging, and case design.
Lobes carry the load, says IDC: 'Hearables' sector accounts for half of all tech clobber sold [5]READ MORE
According to CBP, if the seized buds were actual AirPods, they'd have an estimated retail price just under $400,000. OnePlus Buds, by the way, are [6]valued at $79 apiece , meaning the shipment was worth $158,000 in total.
"CBP Officers are protecting the American public from various dangers on a daily basis," said Troy Miller, director of CBP's New York Field Operations, [7]in a statement . "The interception of these counterfeit earbuds is a direct reflection of the vigilance and commitment to mission success by our CBP Officers daily."
Vigilance. Commitment to mission success. Yes.
El Reg reached out to OnePlus, which declined to comment on this story, although its US branch tweeted: "Hey, give those back!" We've also contacted CBP for comment, and will update this story if we hear back. ®
Get our [8]Tech Resources
[1] https://twitter.com/CBPNewYorkCity?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[2] https://t.co/XMgjkfT56i
[3] https://t.co/Ofn9REJ9ZB
[4] https://twitter.com/CBP/status/1305300486090825731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/11/idc_wearable_hearable/
[6] https://www.oneplus.com/oneplus-buds
[7] https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cbp-jfk-seizes-counterfeit-apple-airpod-earbuds
[8] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Dumb
Dumb... not that someone thought "OnePlus" was "fake Apple." Dumb that customs is taking it upon themselves to begin with to decide that a product is "counterfeit" when it is in what is obviously the package it will be sold in, and that package in no way resembles the package Apple would use.
Re: Dumb
The dumb part is not reading the paperwork, assuming the mental midgets can read. There all sorts of paperwork associated with the shipment that will describe the goods. Probably more worried the price was wrong so they are not getting enough duty.
Should have put a Prepear logo on them to make them completely indistinguishable!
https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/10/apple_prepear_trademark_dispute/
Certainly for the Apple IP lawyers...
How can we be sure
that they were real CBP Officers?
Re: How can we be sure
How can we be sure that this is the real Register ?
This brings my whole perception of reality into question.
So Customs is using Package Recognition AI now ?
" The interception of these counterfeit earbuds is a direct reflection of the vigilance and commitment to mission success by our CBP Officers daily. "
Nope. It's a direct reflection of how little you're paying attention to what you're actually looking at. As for mission success, it is hardly a success to block something that has nothing to do with what you're looking for. That's called a false positive, and you should correct that.
Except that, this is the Trump era, and we all know that you're just doing your bit to bother China in any way you can, even if it is wrong.
As the Sirens Sound...
"CBP Officers are protecting the American public from various dangers on a daily basis," said Troy Miller, director of CBP's New York Field Operations
.
Rogue Earbuds !!
The summer blockbuster writes itself.
[ Though a sizeable section of the American audience will spell it ' Rouge '. ]
.
[ As well, why are they so fucking pompous and self-congratulatory ? ]
Wouldn't it be funny if China customs also seized an AirPod shipment for looking like counterfeit OnePlus Buds?