eBay held to be jointly responsible for sale of Hermès fakes

In a landmark decision, the Troyes High Court has held that eBay was jointly responsible for the sale of counterfeit Hermès bags on its auction platform. The court considered that eBay, in its capacity as "provider of online communication services" for a brokerage activity, had the obligation to discourage use of its website in an unlawful manner by providing appropriate means to sellers, purchasers and IP rights owners.