Luxe Knockoffs Cost eBay $63M

Christian Dior insists runway show will go on

(NEWSER) - Fashion designer John Galliano has lost his job for making anti-Semitic slurs ; he may now lose his freedom as well. French prosecutors have announced that Galliano will stand trial on charges of making racist insults in public, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $31,400 fine, reports Reuters. The charges relate to two incidents, one last month and one in October of last year. More»

Customers paid big bucks for counterfeit products

(NEWSER) - Consumers around the world were bilked out of millions of dollars for counterfeit golf clubs in the biggest-ever eBay scam, reports the Times of London. The clubs, as well as clothing, accessories and passes for an airline lounge, were auctioned online from 2004-2008 by a criminal network involving crooks from Europe, China, Thailand and the US. The suspected ringleaders are currently on trial in London, though authorities believe many involved have escaped detection. More»

(NEWSER) - Scotland Yard is seeking to question Lindsay Lohan as part of an investigation into the theft of some $500,000 in Dior jewelry she wore during an Elle photo shoot in London, reports TMZ. Lohan was featured on the cover. Lohan "kept going on about the jewels, asking if she could have them. We thought she was joking," a magazine source tells Holy Moly. Lohan is "happy to cooperate" with investigators, a rep told Entertainment Tonight. More»

'Moai' aims to change humanity's 'materialistic conscience': government

(NEWSER) - A “moai”—one of the giant statues of elongated heads on Easter Island—will travel to Paris in 2010 on a mission to challenge the “materialistic conscience” of the world, the Independent reports. Representatives of the Pacific island’s government said the statue had made its wish for travel known to them and “wants” to be placed in the Tuileries gardens, between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. More»

Tiffany's must police their own mark, decides federal court

(NEWSER) - A US judge ruled today that eBay had taken sufficient steps to stop the sale of fake Tiffany jewelry, the Wall Street Journal reports. Ruling on a suit filed by the New York-based jeweler, the judge deemed Tiffany responsible for monitoring its trademark. It was a pivotal victory for eBay, which has been forced to pay millions to luxury-goods makers in Europe. More»