Harley-Davidson Counterfeiters Busted in Pennsylvania
Vendors selling knockoff Bar and Shield gear at ‘Roar’ motorcycle rally get a surprise visit from Homeland Security.
Last week, Harley-Davidson invited agents from the Pittsburgh office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations to a motorcycle rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. However, the agents weren’t there to chat about motorcycles. Instead, they were there to seize illegal Harley-Davidson merchandise.
The raid occurred at the 11th annual Roar on the Shore motorcycle rally that took place July 12-16. Kelly and Susan Lapping, owners of Harley-Davidson of Erie, notified the Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Business Association (MBA) after noticing that the counterfeit merchandise was becoming more common year after year.
The Lappings stated that “as a locally owned small business, we are deeply disappointed that the MBA failed to act responsibly and take steps to prevent the continued sale of counterfeit merchandise at their annual bike rally.” They eventually elevated their concerns to Harley-Davidson’s corporate office, which then contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
‘In our contracts with all of our vendors, it states explicitly that you cannot use any products that haven’t been authorized for sale. Anybody who does that deserves exactly what they get.’
ICE seized a couple hundred items, mostly hats, belts, and tee-shirts. Since no individual vendor was selling a large quantity of the fake goods, ICE does not expect to file charges. Instead, the items were turned over to Harley-Davidson’s Brand Protection Manager.
“They did look at vendors and they did find materials that they confiscated,” Roar on the Shore executive director Ralph Pontillo told local press Go Erie. “In our contracts with all of our vendors, it states explicitly that you cannot use any products or materials that haven’t been authorized for sale. Anybody who does that deserves exactly what they get, and it’s their job to police themselves and make sure that they don’t do that, and when they do, they’ll be dealt with.”
