Customs Law

The President has signed the Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act . The law is based on the findings of Congress that counterfeit merchandise is a growing concern for the U.S. economy. The act specifically mentions automotive parts, electrical appliances, toys, and office equipment. The act also mentions a link between product counterfeiting and terrorist organizations. The law adds language to the existing law to prohibit trafficking in tags, labels, containers, badges, wrappers, and similar products knowing that they contain a counterfeit mark. Products found to contain such marks are to be forfeited to the United States. While they're at it, the U.S. will also get the proceeds from the use of the marks and any property used to facilitate the commission of the offense. Look for that cool stuff at an auction near you. Lastly, the act forces the Sentencing Commission to review the relevant guidelines for criminal sentencing and, if appropriate, amend them.

The U.S. and Peru have signed a mutual cooperation agreement for customs matters. According to this fancy video , the agreement will permit the sharing of intelligence, documents, and dog training expertise.

Click here. 'Nuff said.

Uh oh. Is immigration coming to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit? According to this article in the New York Times , it might be. Or maybe not. People seems upset about the idea. Except for those that proposed it. Here's the thing, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit spends most of its time on patent cases. The rest is a mix of customs and trade, trademark, claims against the U.S., and certain federal employee complaints. The Senate is contemplating dropping about 12,000 immigration appeals on the Court and expanding it by three judges. The case load for individual judges would jump from 125 to 900. I don't have much of an opinion on this is, but I think it is interesting. The idea seems to be that these cases are burdening the overloaded regional circuit courts and the Federal Circuit has the capacity to handle additional cases. Another point is that as a single forum, the Federal Circuit would provide a more uniform interpretation of the immigration l...

I'm not a science guy in any technical sense of the word. But, in the big picture, I am interested in science and I trust that it works. In the same way, I am dubious of any alleged phenomena that appear to violate a law of physics that I learned in highschool. So, I am willing to entertain the notion that there might be a big green monster in Loch Ness. I doubt that there is, but it does not violate any fundamental laws of physics, so what the heck. I am, however, not willing to accept reports of psychic healing, spoon bending, haunted rocking chairs, past life regressions, astrology, or a dozen other crackpot theories. Today, while driving to work, a report came on the radio saying that Wisconsin is close to breaking a record for the number of deaths by snowmobile in a single year. The reporter from a Wisconsin radio station said, at least three times, that a problem with snowmobiles is that at night they "get out ahead of their lights." This strikes me as a problem of ...

A big thanks to the stranger who helped me out this morning. The parking lot at my train station uses smart cards to pay the $1.75 meter. This morning, my card had only $1.50 on it. I figured I could deplete the card and put a quarter in the meter. No such luck. It would not split the payment method. I did not have enough in change to pay the full amount. The guy parking next to me saw me walk away unpaid. I was going to the station to re-load the card. I would, however, have missed the approaching train. Without hesitating, the guy stuck his card in my meter. I offered to pay him in cash. His response was, "take care of someone else later." Nice guy. Thanks.

I think it is great when marketing and science collide. Marketing too often wins that fight. But, in the battle between Gatorade and Powerade, the science fight is going to court. Pepsi Sues Coke Over Powerade Ad - Forbes.com The question seems to boil down to whether fewer calories in a sports drink actually improves performance. Coke seems to say it does. Of course, my highschool physics teacher would have us believe that a calorie is a measure of energy available in food. For performance and endurance sports, energy tends to be a good thing, not a detriment. Seems like Coke's ads might be sending exactly the wrong message to anyone who understands what sports drinks are intended to do. I don't care, I'm a Powerbar drink guy anyway.

Wayla-guy tells me that my blog volume is slipping. It's true. The risk of a substantive blog, rather than a completely anonymous personal blog, is that there may not be much going on. It's not that there have not been developments in customs law, its just that none have been all that interesting. If this were an entirely personal blog, I'd tell the world that I got my bike back from the shop and I'm ready for another season of commuting as soon as the weather cooperates. I'd also mention that I am in deep lust over a Felt F3c . It seems the folks at Felt can cram more carbon and better components into a bike at a lower price point than just about anyone. I'd also mention that I pulled the cover off my boat. A sure sign of spring. But, that's not why we're here, is it? How about this: Has anyone noticed that the WTO is starting to look a lot like that awkward kid with bad skin who no one wants on their kickball team? This is the same kid who...

CBP on ICE It seems some people in authority are taking seriously the notion that ICE and CBP should never have been separated. According to this article , Representatve Kendrick Meek (D-Fla) proposed an amendment to a DHS management organization bill to merge the two agencies. The amendment was ultimately pulled after there was an agreement to have hearings on the topic. Stay tuned. Is That A Human Head in Your Luggage? The woman caught smuggling a human head in from Haiti will have to wait a bit longer before getting into court. Apparently, her counsel is working on a plea deal to keep her out of jail. It seems if the voodoo really worked, she would not be too worried about jail time.

Today's Chicago Tribune had a short piece about Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's recent meeting with Bolivia's President Evo Morales while in Chile for the inauguration of the new president there. During the meeting, Mr. Morales gave Secretary Rice a traditional Bolivian charango , which is a small stringed instrument. This particular instrument includes a back lacquered with coca leaves. The gesture is full of political overtomes because Mr. Morales was once the president of the coca growers union. The Trib describes Morales as having led a "sometimes violent" fight against U.S. efforts to eradicate his crops. But, more relevant to me, the article quotes a State Department person as saying they need to check with Customs as to whether the thing is admissible (given that it is made of coca and all). I don't know the answer. But, I am pretty certain I know where to look and would charge a very reasonable fee for the advice.

As I have recently said, I have a very clear idea of how many people read this blog and some sense of who they are. This is not a big-time operation. It is something I do primarily for my own amusement. So, why do I feel guilty? Why do I feel pressure to post? Who knows, but I do. The reason I have not posted in a while is two fold. First, I was on vacation. That was good. I came home from vacation sick. That was bad. Pretty much all week, I have been down with fever. I feel like a lizard--I seem incapable of controlling my body temperature. At least I did. Today I am feeling much better, thank you. What I have been doing with my time is watching my new favorite show: History Detectives . This is a very cool show in which a team of professionals investigate the interesting little stories and artifacts people submit. For example, a woman from Greenwich Village asked whether John Wilkes Booth may have plotted to kill Lincoln in her living room. They hunt down real estate records, theater...