Feds Seize $1.6M in Counterfeit Hoverboards

Counterfeit hoverboards are exploding—er, proliferating—in the US
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 10, 2016 3:00 PM CST
Feds Seize $1.6M in Counterfeit Hoverboards
US Customs and Border Protection continues to deal with the explosive–sometimes literally–problem of counterfeit hoverboards.   (US Customs and Border Protection)

Federal officers recently seized nearly 2,400 counterfeit—and possibly prone to explode—hoverboards in shipments that arrived at South Carolina's Port of Charleston, the Charleston City Paper reports. The hoverboards, which were made in China, would have been worth more than $1.6 million retail, according to US Customs and Border Protection. In addition to being a fire risk—possibly due to faulty lithium ion batteries—the counterfeit hoverboards also run afoul of US trademark law.

"Remember next time you go down to the docks to get your hands on a fresh shipment of hoverboards, you’re not only putting yourself in danger—you’re putting America in danger too," the City Paper states. Counterfeit hoverboards have been an ongoing problem since the holidays, with more than 50,000 seized around the country. (More hoverboard stories.)

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