Pity for the posers: no more fake handbags on eBay

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Ernst-Jan Pfauth

Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He a (show all) Ernst-Jan Pfauth is the former Editor in Chief of Internet at NRC Handelsblad, as well as an acclaimed technology author and columnist. He also served as The Next Web’s blog’s first blogger and Editor in Chief, back in 2008. At De Correspondent, Ernst-Jan serves as publisher, fostering the expansion of the platform.

Everybody who has visited a popular tourist spot recently, knows the market stands with fake handbags, shirts and sun glasses. These poor-quality goods come straight from countries like China and Vietnam and are widely popular by people who adore the celebrity cult. It seems like these markets will be the only place where you can buy the fake stuff, as a court in France has ordered eBay to compensate fashion and new luxury empire LVMH for allowing the sale of these infamous counterfeit goods. The damage for eBay? €38.6 million.

LVMH – known from Louis Vuitton, Moët et Chandon, Tag Heuer, Fendi, and many more – claims that the French division of eBay doesn’t try hard enough to prevent the shabby salesmen from using the auction site as their market stand. This allegedly caused damage of about €50 million for LVMH.

A month ago, another French court ordered eBay to pay Hermes 20,000 euros for allowing the sale of fakes. I wonder whether these two court-rulings have scared eBay enough to stop opening its doors for the posers’ suppliers.

Update July 1st: eBay will appeal the French court ruling in this LVMH dispute