133.21—Articles bearing counterfeit trademarks.
(a) Counterfeit trademark defined.
A “counterfeit trademark” is a spurious trademark that is identical to, or substantially indistinguishable from, a registered trademark.
(b) Seizure.
Any article of domestic or foreign manufacture imported into the United States bearing a counterfeit trademark shall be seized and, in the absence of the written consent of the trademark owner, forfeited for violation of the customs laws.
(c) Notice to trademark owner.
When merchandise is seized under this section, Customs shall disclose to the owner of the trademark the following information, if available, within 30 days, excluding weekends and holidays, of the date of the notice of seizure:
(d) Samples available to the trademark owner.
At any time following seizure of the merchandise, Customs may provide a sample of the suspect merchandise to the owner of the trademark for examination, testing, or other use in pursuit of a related private civil remedy for trademark infringement. To obtain a sample under this section, the trademark/trade name owner must furnish Customs a bond in the form and amount specified by the port director, conditioned to hold the United States, its officers and employees, and the importer or owner of the imported article harmless from any loss or damage resulting from the furnishing of a sample by Customs to the trademark owner. Customs may demand the return of the sample at any time. The owner must return the sample to Customs upon demand or at the conclusion of the examination, testing, or other use in pursuit of a related private civil remedy for trademark infringement. In the event that the sample is damaged, destroyed, or lost while in the possession of the trademark owner, the owner shall, in lieu of return of the sample, certify to Customs that: “The sample described as [insert description] and provided pursuant to 19 CFR 133.21(d) was (damaged/destroyed/lost) during examination, testing, or other use.”
(e) Failure to make appropriate disposition.
Unless the trademark owner, within 30 days of notification, provides written consent to importation of the articles, exportation, entry after obliteration of the trademark, or other appropriate disposition, the articles shall be disposed of in accordance with § 133.52, subject to the importer's right to petition for relief from the forfeiture under the provisions of part 171 of this chapter.