Sub-Par Golf Gear

ANCHOR LEAD:
SUMMER TIME IS HERE... AND FOR MANY US, THAT MEANS HITTING THE LINKS! MAYBE YOU NEED SOME NEW EQUIPMENT BEFORE YOU HEAD TO THE FAIRWAYS THIS YEAR. WHEN YOU BUY, DO YOU EVER CHECK TO SEE IF IT'S LEGIT? U-S CUSTOMS SAYS YOU SHOULD! ________ GIVES YOU A HEADS UP ON COUNTERFEIT GOLFING GOODS.

TRACK ONE Length: 05
ABOUT TWICE A WEEK, JON MCCORMACK HITS THE GREEN FOR A NICE RELAXING DAY OF GOLF.

SOT
KEY @: 07 Jon McCormack, Golfer
"Just having that one shot will make you want to come back week after week."

TRACK TWO Length: 04
TO KEEP HIS GOLF ROUTINE ON COURSE ...JON NEEDS THE PROPER EQUIPMENT.

SOT
KEY @: 14 Jon McCormack, Golfer
"Something cheap, but that'll get the job done for me."

TRACK THREE Length: 11
BUT THE CHEAPEST CLUBS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE BEST DEAL! U-S CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SAYS COUNTERFEIT GOLF EQUIPMENT IS A LARGE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES...ONE THE AGENCY IS TAKING A SWING AT.

SOT
KEY @: 33 Therese Randazzo, US Customs
"We have worked very hard to reduce counterfeiting, to target shipments as they're coming in to the U-S, and we seize those shipments; we destroy them."

TRACK FOUR Length: 04
EVERYTHING FROM GOLF BAGS AND BALLS...TO CLUBS AND HEAD COVERS.

SOT
Length: 04(Therese Randazzo, US Customs)
"Last year we did seize 245 shipments, primarily from China."

TRACK FIVE Length: 09
SHIPMENTS THAT SHOWED UP ON THE NET, IN BRICK AND MORTAR STORES...EVEN ON TRADE SHOW FLOORS! NO MATTER WHERE YOU BUY THE GOODS, IT COULD HURT MORE THAN JUST YOUR WALLET.

SOT
KEY @: 54 Therese Randazzo, US Customs
"We have heard of incidences where, you know, you take a good swing with that counterfeit club and the head comes flying off, which is certainly a health hazard."

TRACK SIX Length: 08
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF? BE WARY OF BARGAIN BASEMENT PRICES, CHECK THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS, AND KNOW WHAT THE GENUINE ARTICLE LOOKS LIKE.

SOT
Length: 05(Therese Randazzo, US Customs)
"What does the trademark look like? What kind of markings should you see in terms of any sort of designs?"

TRACK SEVEN Length: 06
JON SAYS HE KNOWS PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FOOLED BY FAKES...BUT HE MADE SURE HIS CLUBS ARE UP TO PAR!

SOT
Length: 06(Jon McCormack, Golfer)
"I actually bought my clubs used, but I have seen people with counterfeit clubs before."

ANCHOR TAG:
EXPERTS SAY IF YOU'RE IN THE MARKET FOR GOLFING GOODS...STICK WITH A REPUTABLE DEALER. ALSO, BE EXTRA WEARY OF ONLINE PURCHASES. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT IN PERSON...AND MANY TIMES, EXPERTS SAY RETAILERS SELLING COUNTERFEIT EQUIPMENT WILL ACTUALLY STEAL IMAGES OF THE REAL DEAL AND POST THEM ON THEIR SITE.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Therese Randazzo
Director, Office of Strategic Trade
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20229
therese.randazzo@dhs.gov
Media Contact:
Lynn Hollinger
Phone: (202) 344-1547

As Director in the Office of Strategic Trade at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Headquarters, Ms. Randazzo chairs the National IPR Trade Strategy Working Group, with responsibility for developing Customs IPR enforcement strategy. She represents CBP on The Administration's Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!), which brings federal agencies together in a collaborative effort to fight counterfeiting and piracy. Ms. Randazzo's office provides strategic perspective on intellectual property rights issues, partners with industry, manages enforcement activities, and participates in international programs to reduce trade in fakes.