Demaestro - 6:42 pm on Dec 2, 2010 (gmt 0)

The root problem here is phony merchandise being promoted as the real thing.

Very true and why I feel putting the onus on Ebay to prevent this is an impossible task, I agree they have a responsibility to try to stop it but that interest lies in having users of their site not get ripped off not in protected the IP of another.

I am sure in some situations the seller isn't even aware that their merchandise is fake. They were ripped off and never knew and are now reselling, and in others the seller knows but takes extra steps to avoid Ebay's net. A tactic used by most soc type accounts is open 100 accounts and selling something real and simple, build up rep.

Then they take 1 of those accounts and start selling fakes.. that account gets nipped the person still has 99 other accounts with good rep to use, switching one at a time.. all the while building up good rep on other accounts.