Federal agents announced Thursday the results of a five-month initiative to crack down on counterfeit NFL merchandise. With the aid of the NFL, U.S. law enforcement officials confiscated a record $13.6 million in unauthorized apparel, caps and other football souvenirs.
On Sept. 1, 2012, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents launched "Operation Red Zone," a nationwide effort to stop the sportswear counterfeiting trade. The operation, which will extend through Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, confiscated merchandise from stores and street vendors, shut down websites and intercepted shipments from China. In total, ICE agents shut down 313 websites and arrested 23 individuals. In addition, the NFL reports that it was able to shut down 4,200 websites selling unlicensed merchandise.
Kyle A. Richardson is the editorial director of Promo Marketing. He joined the company in 2006 brings more than a decade of publishing, marketing and media experience to the magazine. If you see him, buy him a drink.