Sweep For Counterfeit 49ers Gear Comes Up Empty
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - You could say that the bust was a bust.
Federal agents descended on a sidewalk vendor hawking 49ers Super Bowl merchandise in San Francisco on Monday. Agents suspected the hats, shirts and sweatshirts were counterfeit merchandise.
Turns out, that wasn't the case.
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The man, who claims to hail from Los Angeles, set up a pop-up tent in front of a gas station in the Twin Peaks neighborhood. Seven officers from the Department of Homeland Security subsequently paid him a visit, threatening to shut down his operation - based on the assumption that he was selling copycat copyrighted NFL merchandise.
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"They came to check us out and they got word that all our merchandise was official and they returned the merchandise and allowed us to resume business," he described the ordeal to KCBS.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees violations of intellectual property and has been known to perform vendor sweeps before major sporting events. However, federal officials declined to comment on this particular matter.
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