Apparently some users on eBay have been selling fake Tiffany jewelry. Why this is to be expected on any auction site. eBay isn't doing enough to stop these fakes from appearing on its site. According to a New York jeweler 73% of all Tiffany items advertised on eBay are fakes.
Tiffany is suing eBay over for fake jewellery offered for sale on the online auction site. According to the iconic New York jeweller, 73 per cent of the items advertised as Tiffany products on the website are fakes. As such, eBay should be held liable for such trading in counterfeit goods. The filing asks eBay to estimate profits made from such sale or pay Tiffany $1m for each type of fake product offered for sale.
The jeweller says it has talked to eBay for a year about the problem and has two members of staff working full-time on policing the auction site. This has resulted in 19,000 individual auctions being stopped. eBay rules warn against offering fake items and members can be banned for repeat offences. James Swire, Tiffany's lawyer from Dorsey & Whitney, told CNET: "Since they are making the money from it, the public is being defrauded by it and Tiffany is being damaged by it, the question is who should bear the burden of policing it."
News source: The Register
Tiffany is suing eBay over for fake jewellery offered for sale on the online auction site. According to the iconic New York jeweller, 73 per cent of the items advertised as Tiffany products on the website are fakes. As such, eBay should be held liable for such trading in counterfeit goods. The filing asks eBay to estimate profits made from such sale or pay Tiffany $1m for each type of fake product offered for sale.
The jeweller says it has talked to eBay for a year about the problem and has two members of staff working full-time on policing the auction site. This has resulted in 19,000 individual auctions being stopped. eBay rules warn against offering fake items and members can be banned for repeat offences. James Swire, Tiffany's lawyer from Dorsey & Whitney, told CNET: "Since they are making the money from it, the public is being defrauded by it and Tiffany is being damaged by it, the question is who should bear the burden of policing it."
News source: The Register
We've now had this story twice :)
I'm sure they try to moderate every auction the best they can.
this is just the tip of the iceburg since there are several major software companies readying very high dollar suits against ebay also over the sale of illegal software too.
and just in case anybody is courious the 73% counterfit number is right on par for any small luxury item or collectible item sold on ebay
Well if its changed now at the time of writing the adbar showed 3 out of 4 replica Tiffany stores online. Is google responsible for this because of the revenue they make from allowing sites to advertise?
I can sell tiffany jewelry and it will be not a fake! because it are from Tiffany (some girl) not Tiffany (related with the company).
Anyways, Tiffany is not a copyright name but copyright logo (image)
That'd be "trademarked", copyrights are for works of art & the likes, not business names.
And yes, the name itself is trademarked as well. You could sell jewlery from a girl named Tiffany, but if you were even remotely hinting at it being the same or even similar to Tiffany&Co's products while using that name, you'd be skating on thin ice.
Anywho, so the point some of you are making is that any item sold on EBay thats a fake can bring litigtion from the manufacturer of the real product?
I'm not quite sure this one will fly in court. But I may be wrong.
in my case i buy a lot of seiko's on ebay and seiko wont warranty any watch not sold through a authorized retailer but i can buy a high end seiko on ebay and send it to seiko for paid non warranty repairs cheaper than i can buy it with a warranty retail
@astrokat
you cant sell anything "fake" if your reproducing a copyrighted or patented item or brand or logo
you can make similar items non branded but if you make a rolex lookalike and put the rolex crown and brand on the watch then its a "fake" or counterfit
2 weeks ago I took my girlfriend to the Tiffany's at the Bellagio in Vegas and bought her a new ring. She was able to try it on, get the size perfected, and I got to see first-hand how much in debt I'm going to be when I get her engagement ring
Hey guys, got some premium Rolex watches here, I'm legit yo. Just auction them with that other chick for a few days and they're yours!
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