The Office of Homeland Security Statistics issues this annual data table describing intellectual property rights (IPR) seizures. The file at the bottom of the page includes data on seizures by product type and conveyance.
About This Report
The Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) produced this report independently in support of its mission to maximize DHS data quality and transparency. OHSS worked with DHS Component statistical officials and subject matter experts to validate the reporting methodologies supporting this report, and Component statistical officials reviewed data tables for accuracy.
Methodology
Data Source
Data represent DHS total IPR seizures made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Data are sourced from CBP's Seized Assets and Case Tracking System (SEACATS) that tracks seized assets related to CBP and ICE HSI operations.
Date
Data are as of 3/13/2024. Statistical information is subject to change due to corrections, systems changes, changes in data definition, additional information, or seizures pending final review. This report will be updated on an annual basis.
Data Processing
CBP and ICE HSI collaborate on many IPR seizures and investigations, collect data in SEACATS related to those seizures, and report Component-level statistics on their involvement in those seizures. OHSS reports combined DHS IPR seizures data, using unique identifiers to ensure that all applicable seizures of counterfeit goods are captured and no seizures are duplicated.
Unit of Measure
The unit of measurement for this report is lines. A line represents one type of seized product differentiated by either product or brand name. For example, two different lines can be Brand Y Shirt or Brand X Shirt. Another example of two different lines is Brand A Pants and Brand A Shoes. The number of unique seizures (i.e., shipments) and the quantity per type of product (i.e., number of Brand A Pants) cannot be evaluated with this dataset.
Data Fields and Definitions
The category of counterfeit product seized.
| Product | Examples of Seizures |
|---|---|
| Clothing | T-shirts, jeans, jerseys |
| Computer Chips | Chips, microchips, integrated circuits |
| Computer Software | Productivity applications, video game applications |
| Computers/Computer Parts | Hard drives, laptops, tablets, computer screens, keyboards, networking equipment |
| Drugs | Sildenafil, tadalafil, botox |
| Electronics | Speakers, headphones, batteries, power cords, cell phones |
| Footwear | Sandals, sneakers, slippers, boots |
| Golf | Clubs, grips, covers |
| Household Appliances | Washer/dryer, toaster, vacuum cleaner |
| Jewelry | Necklaces, bracelets, earrings |
| Labels/Emblems | Branded tags, decals, stickers, emblems |
| Luggage | Duffle bags, backpacks, suitcases |
| Movies Music Media | Blu Ray, DVDs, software CDs |
| Office Equipment | Pens, power cables, chargers, adapters |
| Toys | Plush toys, playing cards, figurines |
| Watches | Watches |
The mode of transportation used to ship the products to the United States.
| Conveyance | Description |
|---|---|
| Auto | Non-commercial personal vehicle |
| Bus | Non-commercial bus |
| Commercial Air | Commercial cargo shipping aircraft |
| Commercial Truck | Commercial cargo shipping truck |
| Commercial Vessel | Commercial cargo shipping vessel |
| Express Consignment | Express consignment carrier facility |
| Motorcycle | Non-commercial motorcycle |
| No Transportation Involved | Conveyance was not used in the commission of the crime |
| Other | Conveyances not otherwise categorized, such as ultralight aircraft, canoes, etc. |
| Pedestrian | Person(s) |
| Private Aircraft | General aviation aircraft |
| Train | Commercial and Non-commercial trains |
| Truck | Non-commercial truck |
| Van | Non-commercial van |
| Vessel | Non-commercial vessel |
The country or territory from which the products originate and/or are exported from.
- “Unknown” indicates that the country or territory from which the products originate was not known at the time of seizure.
The number of unique counterfeit products that were seized; the count of lines is not equal to the quantity of products seized.
- A line represents one type of seized product differentiated by either product or brand name. For example, two different lines can be Brand Y Shirt or Brand X Shirt. Another example of two different lines is Brand A Pants and Brand A Shoes. The line is not equal to the piece count of products in a seizure. For example, one line of Brand A Pants could have a corresponding piece count of eight pairs of pants.
The total Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the products seized in U.S. Dollars if the product had been genuine.
- Data are rounded to the nearest dollar.
- CBP is the appraising official for both CBP and ICE HSI seizures.
- MSRP reflects the appraisal at the time of seizure. Zero indicates that the MSRP was unknown at the time of seizure.
