MLB And Law To Protect Fans From All-Star Counterfeiters

Major League Baseball and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are collaborating to crack down on the production and sale of counterfeit merchandise and tickets during MLB All-Star Week.

Law enforcement officers and undercover investigators will be on the lookout for counterfeit merchandise and tickets throughout Cleveland during MLB All-Star Week, including in and around Progressive Field, the Huntington Convention Center and Malls B & C (PLAY BALL PARK), as well as at manufacturing facilities, retail stores and sidewalk vendor locations.

Law enforcement officials will be enforcing local ordinances, vendor permit requirements, and state and federal anti-counterfeiting laws during All-Star Week in order to protect consumers from purchasing substandard products as well as to protect legitimate manufacturers and vendors who invest money and other resources to provide consumers with high quality, official MLB products. Counterfeit products account for more than $500 billion in international trade, while in the U.S. alone, nearly 750,000 jobs are lost to counterfeiting on an annual basis.

Major League Baseball offers the following tips to help fans avoid purchasing counterfeit souvenirs:

• Look for the holographic sticker with the raised red baseball stitching design and unique alphanumeric combination.
• Look for a sewn-in or screenprinted label or notice identifying a licensee that has been authorized by Major League Baseball to produce “official” merchandise.
• Beware of ripped tags or irregular markings on apparel.
• Shop at MLB-authorized retail locations, such as the Indians Team Shop located at Progressive Field, MLBShop.com, the official web site of MLB, and the shops at PLAY BALL PARK, rather than buying items from itinerant street vendors, flea markets, or other questionable sources.

If you have any questions about the authenticity of merchandise, please feel free to call the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports logos (CAPS) at its toll free hot line at (800) TEL-CAPS (835-2277).