DETROIT – A small business is busted for selling counterfeit Detroit Lions gear on the city’s west side.
The owner has been selling items from vendors based in China for a while and has never had an issue, but after the Detroit Police Department came in on Thursday (Jan. 25), they cleared the sports section out.
The little building up on McNichols Road on the city’s west side was the target of a raid Wednesday night that attracted Detroit police and the NFL.
Bill Woods showed Local 4 his shop called The D Spot, where he sells his brand called Detroit Period. Uncle Woods is what the neighborhood calls him, but his sports section was cleaned out.
“It’s empty as they took everything by clearing everything out of the showcase,” said Woods.
Police and the National Football League were after the counterfeit Detroit Lions jerseys, which looked authentic but are not officially licensed NFL products.
Woods gets them from a vendor, and he says anyone can get them from websites based in China that don’t recognize U.S. trademarks.
Selling counterfeit goods is illegal and costly, as the gear was confiscated, and Woods was handed citations upwards of $3,000.
A key point is Woods does not sell them as authentic, which costs about $200.
“I’m not trying to fool anybody as I sell them for $60,” Woods said. “They can’t be authentic for the price. I sell them for $60 so people know coming in, they are not buying an authentic one that would cost $200 exactly.
Woods gets why he was raided, but as the smallest of small businesses, and with Mayor Coleman A Young featured on the wall in the shop, Woods said the former mayor would suggest supporting Black-owned neighborhood businesses and quit picking on Uncle Wood.
“DPD understands the desire of individuals and businesses to make the most of our team’s success over the past several months. However, everyone must do so in a responsible manner, including those intent on capitalizing on the brand of our NFC North champions.
DPD will always prioritize public safety over other areas of enforcement but cannot neglect the rights of Detroit stakeholders to preserve the integrity of their product.”
Detroit Police Department
