The Energon Pub

News Credits: 5 · by **RodimalToyota** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 6:24 pm

Anyone ever had a KO, or even a 3P get seized in Customs?

Just reading the U.S. customs laws and found this...

In regard to copyright infringement, articles that are determined by CBP to be clearly piratical of a protected copyright, i.e., unauthorized articles that are substantially similar to a material protected by a copyright, are subject to seizure. A personal use exemption for articles, similar to that described above also applies to copyrighted articles for the personal, non-commercial use of the importer and are not for sale or distribution.

You may bring back genuine trademarked and copyrighted articles (subject to duties). Products subject to copyright protection most commonly imported include software on CD-ROMs, sound recordings, toys, stuffed animals, clothing with cartoon characters, videotapes, DVDs, music CDs and books. Products subject to trademark protection most commonly imported include handbags and accessories, and clothing.

weird that Hasbro hasn't just used this as a way of keeping their franchise under house rules.

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:15 am

I wouldn't worry too much about it, as it mainly deals with a physical resemblance to a product already in existence i.e. genuine bootlegs (now there's an oxymoron). The 3rd party products aren't bootlegs, in fact, they have been bootlegged at several occasions!

by **Astronopolis** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:06 am

It looks like there's a personal use clause, so if you've got just a couple without intent to distribute its probably fine.

lol it sounds like drug law. the term plastic crack was never more appropriate.

News Credits: 5 · by **RodimalToyota** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:42 am

I understand newly Molded items, but what about the KO stuff? I mean people are obviously buying them here from certain sellers. Hasbro could easily just flag these sellers and mark them as CRIF and have them turned around at port. Or even US legally have them destroyed.

I'm worried, as I have a crazy KO currently stuck at customs, and 100$ is a terrible thing to waste. Hopefully since it's not gonna be packaged, they wont question it, as it looks like any US release.

by **WeatherManNX01** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:47 pm

I'd also wonder just how familiar Customs is with specific toys and their knockoffs.

Most likely they're on the lookout for knockoffs of Nike and fancy handbags and such.

by **NTESHFT** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:51 pm

I have never had that problem with Transformers,but somehow some 501st patches I sent to a guy in Australia wound up being stuck in customs. I thought that was weird.......

News Credits: 5 · by **zodconvoy** » Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:49 pm

headsortails wrote:I have never had that problem with Transformers,but somehow some 501st patches I sent to a guy in Australia wound up being stuck in customs. I thought that was weird.......

I think Australia has issue with military items. On how seriously they'd take the 501st, the Aussies are the only country on Earth that recognize Jedi as a religion.

by **dinogeist** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:27 am

[quote="Astronopolis"]It looks like there's a personal use clause, so if you've got just a couple without intent to distribute its probably fine. quote]

yeah,the same laws apply to people who record TV shows or movies using blank vhs tapes or blank dvd's. as long as your not making any money off it,saving it for yourself & it's on a small scale,it's okay.