If a French court has its way, eBay will soon have to fork over $2.6 million. The fine stems from a ban on the sale (or purchase) of LVMH goods, and actually ties to a case that ended in eBay being told to pay LVMH $61 million.
LVMH, which is the entity behind luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer, and De Beers, won a major case against eBay in June of last year. LVMH claimed to be concerned about the sale of counterfeit merchandise, and eBay was supposed to keep all related items off its French site as a result.
Apparently eBay wasn’t completely successful, however (misspelled listings may have created problems), hence the latest fine.
Now, Alex von Schirmeister, the general manager of eBay in France, has stated, “We believe that the higher courts will overturn this ruling and ensure that eCommerce companies such as eBay will continue to provide a platform for buyers and sellers to trade authentic goods.
von Schirmeister also said, “The fine itself is disproportionate given that eBay complied with the Injunction. It is out of step with our legal victories in France, UK, Germany, Belgium and the U.S.”
Look for further developments down the road, then, as eBay appeals the ruling.
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