Bootleg Naruto, Bleach, and Death Note Merchandise Notice

You guys already know we only carry licensed merchandise, which is why I'm always explaining why we don't have so many things many other stores seem to carry. Here is an important notice from Great Eastern that come over last night regarding bootleg Naruto, Bleach, and Death Note merchandise:

December 17, 2009

RE: GREAT EASTERN'S NARUTO, NARUTO SHIPPUDUN, BLEACH AND DEATH NOTE ACCESSORIES

VIZ Media, LLC and/or its affiliated entities (collectively, "VIZ MEDIA") are the exclusive licensees of consumer products distributed in North America for the animated television properties NARUTO, NARUTO SHIPPUDUN, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE.

This letter is to inform you that GREAT EASTERN Entertainment Co. ("GREAT EASTERN") is an authorized U.S. licensee of VIZ MEDIA of accessory products using characters and trademarks of the animated television properties NARUTO,NARUTO SHIPPUDUN, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE. These accessory products include the categories identified in the attached EXHIBIT A

On November 25, 2009, the Consumer Products Safety Commision issued a recall notice citing unauthorized infringing pendants featuring symbols from NARUTO, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE ("Product Recall"). A copy of the Product Recall is available online at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10049.html.

These recalled products were NOT from GREAT EASTERN but from an infringing company called TEAM WORK TRADING based in Los Angeles, California. GREAT EASTERN is in no way related to TEAM WORK TRADINGING or to the Product Recall, and TEAM WORK TRADING is not an authorized licensee of VIZ MEDIA.

For more information regarding the authorized GREAT EASTERN Products listed in EXHIBIT A, please contact Dina Abd El Alim at (310)-638-5058, ext. 259 or support@geanimation.com.

A scan of the original Press Release can be found HERE. This sort of stuff has been showing up all over the place recently, and a lot of merchants probably don't even know it's bootleged (but rest assured, many do). Caveat Imperator. :-)