eBay verdict will embolden rights owners
09 June 2008
Eklavya Gupte, London
Brand owners are likely to be more willing to challenge eBay over the sale of counterfeit goods after a recent ruling by a French court
The Tribunal de Grande Instance in Troyes in eastern France ruled on June 4 that eBay was responsible for the sale of three counterfeit versions of Hermes bags and ordered the auction site to pay €20,000 in damages to the fashion house.
"This verdict was quite a surprise. It has got trade mark owners all over the world excited," said Jean-Philippe Bresson, a partner of French firm INLEX.
Bresson also noted that this was the first time a French court has found eBay liable in a counterfeiting case and that it could mean that trade mark owners will be encouraged to target the auction site rather than its users.
According to an...
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