Court Sides with eBay in Tiffany Counterfeit Case

eBay's counterfeit items policy is simple. It states in part, "For a safer buying and selling experience on eBay, we don't allow listings for counterfeit items, fakes, replicas, or unauthorized copies." The site provides several ways for its clients to report suspect item listings. In my own experience, eBay's efforts to purge offending item listings have at times even seemed a bit overzealous. If Tiffany wants someone to examine eBay listing for counterfeits, it may certainly feel free to do so.

Perhaps Tiffany needs to rethink its position on this matter. Perhaps rather than alienating itself from a broad marketing opportunity, it should focus its efforts on branding itself into eBay. Perhaps Tiffany could create an authorized dealer network wherein Tiffany sellers would be preapproved to sell its brand on eBay, which would then allow eBay to automatically disallow unauthorized listing of Tiffany items.

Or Tiffany could just go back to whining with its head stuck in the sand. The choice is theirs.