Ruling could see websites liable for counterfeiting

SHOPPING websites may be liable for trademark infringements if they play an “active role” in promoting counterfeit products, European judges have ruled.

The verdict came in the latest of a series of cases brought by cosmetics giant L’Oreal in courts across the EU to defend its brand name.

The company is challenging eBay in the High Court in Britain, which asked the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg to clarify the obligations of internet marketplaces under EU law.