EBAY TRIES YET AGAIN

Ebay has again rewritten its policy on counterfeits in its Purchase Protection Policy. AuctionBytes.com interviewed John Pluhowski, an eBay spokesperson, to get clarity. The word "non-authentic" has been changed to "counterfeit" because it refers to illegal items prohibited on eBay (like fake Rolex watches, we assume). It does not include pieces described as "authentic Chippendale," evidently because Chippendale is not a trademarked brand. We are still confused. Are only modern brands with intellectual property rights, like Coca-Cola or Chanel, protected by the new policy? And are antique pieces described, for instance, as "Schimmel" folk carvings or "Ohr" pottery protected instead by eBay's "item not as described" policy? In the second case, if eBay has to settle the dispute, the seller could be in trouble.

THE CZAR OF LUXURY

The Czar of Luxury

Phillips de Pury & Co., better known to American collectors as Phillips Auction House, has been sold to a Russian company, the Mercury Group. That gives Phillips more money to operate their art auctions. Mercury has high-end boutiques, a luxury mall, and a department store chain. It has franchises with Fendi furs, Rolex, Prada, Brioni, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari, Patek Philippe, Maserati, Yves Saint Laurent, and other luxury brands. The CEO, Leonid Friedland, sometimes called the "Czar of Luxury," is 37 and we wonder if he collects modern art, a favored item in Phillips' auctions. He started his career selling folk art to tourists in 1992.