Unfair Takedowns: vendors abuse EBay's Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program

[mandy]

We've had quite a few stories here (see "Embroidery Piracy and EBay/PayPal Privacy" for example) about abuses of the power EBay's Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) programs gives vendors to arbitrarily take down auctions. But while most of those stories have involved takedowns over alleged copyright infringement, one reader's recent experience suggests that trademark claims might be an area where the abuses are even more troubling.

"I recently listed some Don Ed Hardy T-shirts and hats on EBay," the reader wrote. "Within four hours they were all taken down, and within eight hours my EBay account was suspended. I received an e-mail from EBay saying they had been taken down because VeRO member 'Nervous Tattoo, Inc., dba Don Ed Hardy,' had claimed that my items were counterfeit."...

full article: http://weblog.infoworld.com/gripeline/ar..._take.html

[FiberGuy]

The system has been abused by the "rich and powerful" since its inception.  90% of ebay sellers don't know how to fight it.