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Fake Givenchy Pi EDP on ebay

post #1 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:04am
Thread Starter 
http://cgi.ebay.com/Pi-by-Givenchy-M...QQcmdZViewItem

has anyone else seen these fakes that use the brand name on the auction, bottle and box?

How does ebay let garbage like this get listed but outlaws decants to the level that everyone and his uncle is afraid they'll be caught decanting?

What about blatant copyright violation for these products?

Having only learned about Givenchy Pi this week on this board and finding that my favorite retailer had it in stock, I figured I'd have a look at ebay.

I'd have much been happier finding a decant from a trusted seller than this counterfeit crap.

The seller only sells these rip-offs by the way.
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post #2 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:27am
It looks like a cheap knock off or imitations of fragrances that you can find at Walgreens etc ..
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post #3 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:38am
I dunno, it says pretty clearly in the description that it's an "alternative version" of Pi:

*NOTE: Although this fragrance is produced to the exact same standards and oils and smell exactly as there namesake this is an "alternative" version of this fragrance. Please click the link above to see why our alternative versions of these designer fragrances are the better option for your money.

Now as for the title, yes, I think it's a bit desceptive considering the only thing there hinting that it's not the real deal is the "ALT*" thing at the end. If you look closely at the large picture, you can see it says "version of" before it says "Givenchy Pi." It's just basically the same copies you see at drugstores, dollar stores, etc., but sold for ridiculous prices on eBay.
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post #4 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:40am
Well, they are listed as alternatives to the actual fragrance. Yeah, it's a bit sneaky and might confuse an uninformed buyer who doesn't read the whole listing into thinking they are getting 'the real deal' - but considering every auction actually states that you are buying an imitation, I really don't think it's particularly wrong or intentionally deceitful.
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post #5 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:40am
Thread Starter 
I have seen the knockoffs with new names such as "Oriental Mudslide" for instance with additional text in smaller print "smells like Opium".

Also this is the first time I've seen a knockoff like this in all of my thousand or so ebay searches. Anyone else? A new unsuspecting Basenoter having no idea what a bottle of the edp of Pi looks like could easily fall for this. It comes up searching for Givenchy Pi. Do I need to get out more?
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post #6 of 14
12/23/07 at 2:54am
Well, anyone who doesn't read a whole listing does deserve what they get. It's one thing if a listing doesn't disclose some information (try buying guitars on Ebay...you'll find out that 'mint' has a completely different definition to sellers than it does to buyers!), but all of the information is listed there, and even more in their FAQ.
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post #7 of 14
12/23/07 at 3:06am
Thread Starter 
So copyright laws have no meaning? I can print a newspaper and call it the New York Times and run fake Disney and Apple ads for whatever I feel like putting in a box and as long as I explain on the package that I'm basically a thief, I'm home free?

Wanna buy a bridge?
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post #8 of 14
12/23/07 at 9:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredricktoo View Post

Wanna buy a bridge?

No thanks. I just bought one yesterday from some pitchman on EBay.
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post #9 of 14
12/23/07 at 9:54am
I love that its "EXTRA STRENGTH" as if that's necessary ...
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post #10 of 14
12/23/07 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fredricktoo View Post

So copyright laws have no meaning? I can print a newspaper and call it the New York Times and run fake Disney and Apple ads for whatever I feel like putting in a box and as long as I explain on the package that I'm basically a thief, I'm home free?

Wanna buy a bridge?

I just don't see it that way. At no point in the listing does it claim to be Pi, even though the title is a bit misleading if you don't know what "Alt*" means. If you make a paper called the "New York Times," then in fact, you are infringing on their copyright. If you make a newspaper and say "It's just as good as the New York Times!," then that's fine. The product itself claims nothing more than to be an alternative version of Pi. The real ethical issue is not the product itself, but rather how it's listed.
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post #11 of 14
12/23/07 at 5:00pm
Actually, it does say Givenchy Pi on the box and on the bottle. That is definitely misleading. Of course we know it's fake because we have seen the real thing but if you aren't looking closely enough or reading closely enough, you might be fooled. I think that is illegal. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe copyright infringement is when you market the same product with the same name or even a similar name (I would think this qualifies). It also states it is an "alt" fragrance in the listing and when you read the fine print, it states that it is an alternative. Alternative could be a number of thing (example...Pi Fraishe or Pi Neo) and not necessary an imposter. I agree with fredricktoo, and while I am no lawyer, this seems illegal.
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post #12 of 14
12/23/07 at 5:20pm
I've seen designer imposter scents that say things like "Our version of Ralph Lauren's Polo" and "Our impression of Thierry Mugler's Angel" on the box and bottle at places like Walgreens. However, the Walgreens "inStyle" designer imposters say on the packaging something along the lines of "Angel is a registered trademark of Thierry Mugler Parfums, who does not manufacture or endorse this product."

As for the juice itself: In the USA, I don't think that fragrances themselves are protected by copyright (hence the widespread availability of copycats), but I know that in the European Union they are. There were two cases in France: one was Thierry Mugler Parfums vs. Molinard (the Angel vs. Nirmala case), and more recently there was a case between L'Oreal and a designer imposter manufacturer that sold knockoffs of Tresor and Acqua di Gio, among others.

So designer imposters like this are legal in the States. Granted, they probably don't smell anything like the real thing, but they're legal.
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post #13 of 14
12/23/07 at 6:09pm
Thread Starter 
http://cgi.ebay.com/COOL-WATER-by-Zi...ayphotohosting

the above is listed in category: Health & Beauty > Fragrances > Men > Davidoff > Cool Water

Parent: "get Grandpa some of that Cool Water he likes"

Grandson: I'll look on ebay. I bet they have it.

Parent yelling upstairs: Get the Givenchy Pi
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post #14 of 14
12/23/07 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by paintrman View Post

Actually, it does say Givenchy Pi on the box and on the bottle.

Actually, it says "Version of Givenchy Pi" clearly on the box. It likely says the same thing on the bottle, but it's hard to read (there is something above "Giv," which is the only thing you can clearly make out, but on the Cool Water bottle it's clearly visible too).

Again, I feel the product itself isn't misleading, but the seller's listing practices are questionable. If you spent more than 2 minutes searching for Pi or Cool Water, you'd see how dramatically different these bottles are (not to mention if you don't read the description, then shame on you). As with everything on eBay: caveat emptor!
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