Online Auction Fake Products with Real Trademarks. The Design of a Name Brand Isn’t Counterfeiting?　Trademarks State “Made In Taiwan” to Win Buyers’ Trust.

A wave of “Name Brand Style” is spreading among online auctions.  “Vivienne Westwood Style Wallet LESS than a thousand…” and a bag favored by a well known anchorperson costs only 3 to 4 thousand dollars, the young generation goes after them in swarms.  However, the goods with seemingly identical appearance to the name brands, without the name of the brand and only one-tenth of the price has resulted in concern from the name brand industry.

 

There is a website that sells more than a hundred different styles of bags, such as Vivienne Westwood, ANNA SUI, BURBERRY plaid style goods.  It is almost like a department store.

 

A seller indicated, the ANNA SUI, Vivienne Westwood style leather sold online were purchased from a wholesaler.  The said wholesaler obtained the well known ANNA SUI “butterfly” trademark and Vivienne Westwood’s “Saturn” trademark about two years ago before the original manufacturers did.  To avoid misunderstanding, he stated that the Vivienne Westwood he sold was made in Taiwan instead of England.

      

These bags of name brand style are almost identical to the ones sold in department stores in terms of appearance, design and interior.  Buyers from the Internet believe that as long as the name of the brand is not printed, it is considered selling of name brand style instead of counterfeiting.  Some websites even list out the “trademark” documentation provided by the manufacturers on the Internet so as to gain trust from the buyers.

 

Yahoo says that if there is counterfeiting involved, they need the original manufacturer to file a complaint to the website and carry out assessment.  In such case, the website has the right to remove the goods from auction.  (2005.3)

CYJ/CHT