Ebay Ruling Gives Tiffany's The Blue Box Blues
A New York federal judge on Monday ruled that Tiffany and Co. could not prevent eBay customers from buying and selling the company's high-end jewelry (which typically comes in a light blue box) on the popular online auction Web site. The ruling was seen by NetChoice Coalition's Steve DelBianco as a victory for the Internet and for consumers. EBay, which boasted 1,017 Tiffany items for sale on the day of the decision, is a member of DelBianco's trade group.
In rejecting Tiffany's claims U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan pointed out that eBay had consistently removed listings of counterfeit Tiffany goods and had banned sellers found distributing them. Sullivan recognized that the case was never about counterfeits, DelBianco said. "This is about a luxury goods manufacturer wanting to control every marketplace in which its products are sold -- even at the expense of loyal and law-abiding consumers," he added.
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