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Why the Feds Are Losing the War on Fake Super Bowl Merchandise

More than half of counterfeit goods arrive in U.S. via mail after being ordered online. Officials want Amazon and EBay to share more data on fakes.
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Photographer: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

On Thursday, law enforcement officials will unveil piles of counterfeit jerseys, baseball caps, jackets and other sports merchandise seized in the previous year from online vendors, flea markets and stadium parking lots. Operation Team Player, timed for Super Bowl 51 on Sunday, makes for good TV and is designed to publicize the growing prevalence of fakes.

It's a problem that's getting worse and harder to control.