Savannah CBP Seizes Nearly $2 Million in Counterfeit Hermès Handbags

U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") Office of Field Operations at the Port of Savannah, Ga., seized 198 counterfeit Hermès Birkin handbags October 6. Had the goods been genuine Hermès Birkin handbags, CBP import specialists estimated that the merchandise would have had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price ("MSRP") of $1,861,200.

This seizure is the Port of Savannah’s third multi-million dollar seizure of counterfeit goods this year.

The shipment, manifested as polyurethane handbags, arrived to the Port of Savannah September 4 from China. It was destined to an address in Atlanta.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $2 million in counterfeit Hermes handbags at the Port of Savannah, Ga., October 6, 2014."

The counterfeit handbags will be destroyed.

In July, CBP officers seized 377 cartons of counterfeit sunglasses with an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price ("MSRP") of $1,619,550.

In April, CBP officers seized more than $1 million in counterfeit soccer apparel.

Government Contract Awarded

Cottonwood Incorporated, Lawrence, Kansas, has been awarded a maximum $8,545,500 firm-fixed-price, long-term, delivery-order type contract for aircraft tie-down cargo straps. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Kansas, with a Nov. 3, 2015, performance completion date. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Defense Logistics Agency Aviation. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4A7-15-D-0036).

Free Webinar: Deepening Your Business Connection with Mexico

On Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 2:00 pm EST, the U.S. Department of Commerce and ExpoProducción Mexico will co-host a webinar on deepening the business connection with Mexico for U.S. textile and apparel exporters. The webinar will feature information on the Mexican market and business culture, logistics, an overview of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and textile/apparel rules of origin, and other important topics. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session for webinar participants. There is no charge to participate in this webinar, but advance registration is required. Participants may register via the following link: https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/event/editWebReg.do?SmartCode=5Q1J.

Webinar call-in & log-in information will be sent via email after registration is received. The webinar will be recorded and posted on OTEXA’s website so that it can be used as a reference for those who are not able to participate on November 19. Sign up today - registration closes on Wednesday, November 19 at 12:00 p.m. EST. For more information, please contact Laurie Mease or Richard Stetson at 202-482-3400.

Army Coat Contract Awarded

Bremen-Bowdon Investments, Bowdon, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $13,033,800 modification (P00106), exercising the fourth option year on a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-10-1090) with four one-year option periods, for men's Army coats. This is a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Location of performance is Georgia, with a Nov. 14, 2015, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Catching Up

This week I will focus on issued patents.  Below is a summary of selected patents that have been recently issued in textile related classification codes:

Body-shaping intimacy garment:  A body-shaping intimacy garment where the torso portion, lower portion and leg portions each include respective portions of inner and outer layers of stretchable fabrics. The inner layer fabric is worn stretched about the torso, waist, buttocks, hips and legs, with tension in shoulder straps maintaining some inner layer stretch along the torso portion while worn. The outer layer fabric has a lesser elasticity than the inner layer fabric, and the two fabric layers are connected at the bust but are otherwise disconnected.  Patent:  8701213.  Assignee:  Cronan.  Not Assigned.

One-piece garment:  A one-piece garment is presented, such as a pajama for toddlers, which prevents removal of the garment by the toddler and keeps the toddler from gaining access to his diaper. The one-piece garment may be modified for wearers of any size and/or age so that the wearer cannot remove his own garment or disturb garments or medical devices that are worn under the one-piece garment.  Patent:  8701214.  Inventor:  Stoneham.  Not Assigned.

Medical gown:  A body covering gown which is secured on the user by one or more stretchable strips which extend across an opening in the gown.  Patent:  8701215.   Inventor:  Levine.  Not assigned.

Grip-it golf method:  A method to conveniently store golf gloves made of a Velcro type material that can be snapped or buttoned onto pants, or wrapped around a club (like a putter).  Patent:  8701216.  Inventor:  Evans.  Not assigned.

Use of ascorbic acid derivatives for dyeing keratin-containing fibres:  The invention relates to the use of specific ascorbic acid derivatives for dyeing keratin-containing fibers or as direct dyes for the preparation of a composition for dyeing keratin-containing fibers, and to methods for dyeing keratin-containing fibers, in particular for dyeing human hair.  Patent:  8702813.  Inventor:  Rudolph and Oberle.  Assignee:  Merck Patent Gmbh.

Cyanoborate, fluoroalkylphosphate, fluoroalkylborate or imide dyes:  A cationic dye, such as rhodamine, where the anion is selected from the group of the cyanoborates, fluoroalkylphosphates, fluoroalkylborates or imidates.  The result is a more electrochemically and thermally stable product with improved solubility in organic solvents for use in plastics and gel inks.  Patent:   8702815.  Inventor:  Ignatyev, et. al.  Assignee:  Merck Patent Gmbh

Method of forming an article of footwear incorporating a trimmed knitted upper:  A method of forming an article of footwear includes from a knitted workpiece formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted workpiece forms an upper of the article of footwear with a body and trim region. Patent:  8701232.  Inventors:  Droege and Podhajny.  Assignee:  Nike, Inc.

Protective fabric:  Crimp-imbalanced protective fabric with varying levels of yarn crimp within and across layers of a multi-layer fabric armor system. The method includes developing a crimp in the yarn by pulling the yarn through a solution that coats the yarn. The removable coating has a thickness that ensures a proper amount of crimp in the yarn. The tension in the yarn is controlled; the yarn is weaved; and a crimp is applied in the yarn. Once the crimp is applied, families of the crimped yarn are utilized as a layer or layered to produce a soft armor form.  Patent:  8701255.  Inventor:  Cavallaro.  Assignee:  The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy.

Flexible footwear covering reducing friction and drag between shoes and floor surfaces:  A flexible footwear covering that fits on a shoe with a lower coefficient of friction than the bottom of a shoe.  This allows for ease of motion on carpeted or other surfaces.  The covering is in the shape of a sock with a ring, which gives the option to fully cover for maximum ease of movement or expose the heel for more traction when needed.  Patent:  8701310.  Inventor:  Walsh.  Not Assigned.

Top of the boot:  A decorative top piece that fits into and over the top of a boot, to provide a place to decorate with jewelry or other items.  Patent 8701311.  Inventor:  Barnhart.  Not Assigned.

Protective textile sleeve having high edge abrasion resistance and method of construction:  A protective textile sleeve including both monofilament and multifilament yarns woven in both warp and fill directions. The warp yarns are woven in a warp-faced pattern with the fill yarns. As such, the warp yarns float over 2 or more of fill yarns. The warp monofilaments provide the sleeve with increased abrasion resistance, while the warp multifilaments provide the sleeve with increased flexibility and coverage protection within the cavity of the sleeve. The fill monofilaments provide the sleeve with increased abrasion resistance and the fill multifilaments provide the sleeve with increased flexibility and coverage protection. The method includes weaving the warp and fill yarns in one of an open or closed wall construction. The method can include heat-setting the monofilament fill yarns to bias the open wall into a self-closing tubular configuration.  Patent:  8701716.  Inventor:  Kashihara.  Assignee:  Federal-Mogul Corporation.

Antiadhesive material:  An antiadhesive material with excellent biocompatibility and bioabsorbability as well as excellent strength in suturing and bonding. A reinforcing material made of a biodegradable polymer is impregnated with is a gelatin solution which is caused to gelate and dried. This creates an antiadhesive material.   Patent:  8703627.  Inventor:  Matsuda, et.al.  Assignee:  Gunze Limited, Jms Co., Ltd.

Jim Carson is a principal of RB Consulting, Inc. and a registered patent agent.  He has over 30 years of experience across multiple industries including the biotechnology, textile, computer, telecommunications, and energy sectors.  RB Consulting, Inc. specializes in providing management, prototyping, and regulatory services to small and start-up businesses.  He can be reached via email at James.Carson.Jr@gmail.com or by phone at (803) 792-2183.

AAFA Reiterates Support for Keeping Berry Amendment off the Table in Trade Talks

On October 27, 2014, the American Apparel and Footwear Association ("AAFA") sent a letter to United States Trade Representative Michael Froman urging the U.S. government to keep the Berry Amendment off the table during free trade agreement ("FTA") negotiations. The letter came in response to a position paper on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership ("T-TIP") FTA from the European Apparel and Textile Confederation ("EURATEX"), which claimed that the Berry Amendment encouraged "discriminatory treatment."

The AAFA letter is available HERE.

The EURATEX paper is available HERE.

Consumer Product Safety Commission Meeting Scheduled with Industry

On November 5, 2014, Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Buerkle will giving remarks at the 26th Annual Textile & Apparel Importer Trade & Transportation Conference in New York City. The meeting was requested by Julia K. Hughes, President, United States Fashion Industry Association ("USFIA").

Jacqueline Campbell, Consumer Product Safety Commission Directorate for Engineering Sciences, will be attending the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists ("AATCC") 2014 Fall Committee Meetings in Durham, N.C., November 11-12, 2014.