eBay’s reputation as a marketplace for fraud continues to worsen, with high profile mainstream media stories about lawsuits over the sale of fake, counterfeit, and copyright-infringing goods. The latest example comes from a court case in the UK, regarding a “global network of criminals [that] duped eBay customers into buying millions of pounds worth of fake golf clubs“.The Times Online reports that the fraud uncovered is “on a scale that, it is believed, has never been seen before“, per reports from the Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The full article can be found at www.TimesOnline.co.uk (Fake golf club scam ‘cost eBay customers millions’):
From the article:
Adam Davis, for the prosecution, said: “Nearly every major golf brand has been affected by the sale of counterfeit goods through the eBay accounts. It is the belief of the fraud investigation unit at eBay that this case represents the single largest counterfeiting conspiracy yet uncovered on their website.”
He added: “Over the course of about four years, between mid-2003 and early-2008, these defendants and their co-conspirators have been responsible for the sale and distribution of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of pounds’ worth of counterfeit goods both here in the UK and abroad — primarily through the well-known auction website eBay.
“This is a conspiracy of a truly global nature. Conspirators are thought to have been based in the UK, Thailand, Australia, Germany, Singapore, USA, Hong Kong, China — and goods have been distributed from, or to, all those countries and more.”
More:
The court was told that Bellchambers and two others had admitted conspiring to sell or distribute golf clubs, clothing and accessories, bearing signs identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, registered trademarks.
This case is pertinent to the lawsuits brought against eBay last year by luxury goods makers Tiffany & Co. (see Tiffany & Co. Loses Lawsuit Against eBay) and Louis Vuitton/LVMH (see French Court Orders eBay to Pay $61 Million for Sale of Counterfeit Goods). Also of interest are the results from a U.S. Federal Court earlier this month in which an ISP was found liable for hosting websites selling counterfeit merchandise (see Landmark Decision in U.S. Federal Court: California Jury Finds ISPs Liable for Hosting Websites Selling Counterfeit Goods).
These developments are relevant to the hobby in that eBay is viewed by many discerning original television and movie prop collectors to be one of the worst marketplaces to navigate due to the high volume of fraudulent pieces offered for sale in the “Entertainment Memorabilia” categories.
Past articles published by the Original Prop Blog related to other legal disputes and court proceedings can be found via the portal below:
Jason DeBord