eBay Inc. provides online marketplaces that demonstrate many of the significant benefits of using the internet for commerce, namely choice, selection and value. eBay is not a retailer. Instead, eBay hosts content for third parties selling goods totaling millions of euros on a daily basis. eBay is committed to promoting confidence in the internet, as the success of e-commerce depends on trust between sellers and buyers. eBay is therefore determined to fight against any abuse of its services, including attempted sales of counterfeits. Potential counterfeits represent only a minuscule proportion of total listings on our marketplaces. Nonetheless, eBay remains dedicated to combining its efforts with other responsible stakeholders to fight aggressively and effectively against counterfeiters.
This paper focuses on counterfeits, defined as non-authentic and non-genuine goods. To fight counterfeits effectively stakeholders must focus on the scale and focal points of the problem. They should not be confused with separate issues concerning wholly legitimate and authentic goods, such as parallel imports or selective distribution. These important subjects can be discussed in separate forums and should not be allowed to cloud efforts to promote effective measures against counterfeits.
eBay's paper seeks to give further impetus to ongoing anti-counterfeit discussions. Given our experience of successfully fighting counterfeits on our platform over the last ten years, we believe eBay is well-positioned to make recommendations in this area.