Even if eBay could win them all (and at this point, it hasn’t) lawsuits from luxury goods manufacturers would get old after a while. So, in a surprisingly logical move, lawyers representing the auction site are going to meet with the other side.
The Walpole Group will step forward on behalf of Links of London, Sotheby’s, and a number of other impressive names. Frederick Mostert, the chair of the Walpole Intellectual Property and Brand Protection Working Group, seems to be seeking a compromise.
Frederick Mosert
“The answer lies in constructive co-operation,” he told Mark Kleinman. “Brand owners and auction sites need to work together and share the responsibility to stop fakes to avoid a restraint on the progress of society. The answer for assessing responsibility lies in the middle – both sides should in equal measure diligently confront the online counterfeit problem together.”
Up until now, eBay’s been of the opinion that society is progressing just fine with only one side doing the work. The company might not mind putting forth a little more effort for the sake of avoiding lawyers’ fees and $30,000 fines (or worse), though.
Assuming either eBay or the Walpole Group feels like talking about any decisions, we’ll be sure to report back the results of their meeting.
