The United States’ Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have seized a total of 36,000 wireless headphones that are identical to Apple’s AirPods. The shipment from China is worth $7 million if the genuine price is to be followed.
The CBP first spotted the headphones after inspecting three shipments brought into Cincinnati from China. It said in a press release reported by CNN that the scrutinized cargo was filled with thousands of “Elite Pods,” a design clone of the Airpods.
(Photo : from United States Customs and Border Protection)
Fake Airpods estimated to be worth $7M that were shipped from China were seized, US Customs reports
Furthermore, contrary to the million-dollar value if they were real AirPods, CBP declared its value to be at $5,280 per shipment only. A total of $15,840 for all three cargos combined.
Learned From the Past
Perhaps CBP is cautious of repeating the mistaken seizing of OnePlus Bods after it was deemed as counterfeit AirPods. This time, officers consulted import specialists before officials seized the items on May 11 and May 13. The officers cited the violation of the CBP trademark and copyright codes for their action.
While the headphones from China didn’t bear any Apple logo or name, the replicated design is still under the company’s trademark. An Apple Insider specified that cloning the physical design and shape is considered a violation.
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How To Spot Fake AirPods
The “Elite Pods,” based on its picture, is similar in shape and design features to Apple’s Airpods except for its color, which is gray.
It is noteworthy that since the AirPods launched in 2016, there is no official gray color option for it. However, there are third-party customizations that allow users to replace the default white color of the AirPods. It’s best to match the other colors that Apple offers for its devices.
(Photo : by Stephen Lam/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 07: Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller announces AirPods during a launch event on September 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Apple Inc. is expected to unveil latest iterations of its smart phone, forecasted to be the iPhone 7. The tech giant is also rumored to be planning to announce an update to its Apple Watch wearable device.
Hence, in terms of detecting fake AirPods, a varying color will not immediately mean that it is not genuine.
The CBP also warned that, as the clone is cheaper, the inferior materials could cost consumers more trouble. So, it is necessary not to fall prey to these counterfeits. How could you spot one? To confirm that you have genuine Apple AirPods, check the serial number, lightning port, and light-up indicator; the seized headphones are not quite hard to distinguish from the genuine in terms of color. But other design features may fool other people.
For more specifics, kindly check this report on how to spot fake AirPods.
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Written by Teejay Boris
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