While eBay has consistently honoured takedown requests on counterfeit items, the ruling does not bode well for future lawsuits. EBay is also known to be in the crosshairs of Tiffany and Louis Vuitton, among others.
Portero.com, an online auction marketplace that authenticates branded luxury products, estimates that as much as $15bn, or 10 per cent of the branded luxury goods sold globally, are counterfeit.
"Every luxury brand has an obligation to protect consumers against counterfeits, and consumers should make every effort to ensure that the branded luxury goods they purchase online or through any other distribution channel are legitimate," said Milton Pedraza of the Luxury Institute.
"Portero's authentication model is a necessity in order to protect consumers and manufacturers from being victimised by counterfeit merchandise."
Michael Sheldon, founder and chief executive at Portero, added: "Since I founded Portero in 2004, we have implemented the most stringent authentication standards in the online marketplace.
"I believe that the tremendous success we have achieved to date, and the fact that we have tripled our sales in the past 12 months, result from our unwavering commitment to these standards and the trust consumers place in Portero."