Tabberone's Hall of Shame - Strategic Intellectual Property Information (SIPI)

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Strategic Intellectual Property Information (SIPI)

Cyber Cops
Hall Of Shame Members
Added May 2, 2008

VIRUS WARNING
We list links to the web site for the Strategic Intellectual Property Information ("SIPI") web site but do not go to their web site. When we collected information on April 30, 2008, EVERY web page we visited contained an "Exploit" virus. This virus was picked up by our browser and detected by our virus software. We have never heard of any way someone can infect a web site's pages so we assume this is being done intentionally by SIPI. CLICK HERE to see a screen shot of the virus warning we received. Any company that would intentionally infect information on their pages is really low-life scum.

We first heard of the Strategic Intellectual Property Information ("SIPI") January 8, 2008, when in the name of the Richemont Group, they terminated some auctions in the UK on eBay UK. "We encourage you to contact The Richemont Group directly if you have any questions. You can send an email to: richemont@sipi.in"
The next time was April 16, 2008, when Strategic Intellectual Property Information ("SIPI") terminated some auctions for flat irons> The company here appears to be Farouk Chi.
And agian on April 25, 2008 when they terminated some auctions selling Tommy Hilfiger cotton v-neck jumper tops. eBay told the seller "Questions about the specific violation should be addressed to Tommy Hilfiger Licensing LLC. You can send an email to: copsth@sipi.in"
This time Strategic Intellectual Property Information ("SIPI") actually responded to an eBay seller who emailed them:
The reason why we removed your auctions is because importing US goods into Europe is prohibited. We as the intellectual property right owner of Tommy Hilfiger have the right to prevent such parallel imports that are both illegal in Europe and the US.
I trust to have informed you sufficiently.
Kind regards,
On behalf of Tommy Hilfiger Europe BV, Legal Department copsth@sipi.in

Now, having established the background, we begin our rant. What BB-brained company would hire some so-called IP company in India to enforce American or European trademark and copyright laws? While it may not be the height of stupidity it certainly is awfully close. And they hire a company that has the "Exploit" virus on their web pages? Wow! What a fine choice of cyber cop.
First, it will come as quite a surprise to a lot of U.S. companies that American exports to Europe are prohibited. This is an incedibly stupid and uneducated statement. It shows a complete lack of understanding on the part of Strategic Intellectual Property Information ("SIPI"). These idiots made additional statements that lack credibility.
Second, how did Strategic Intellectual Property Information ("SIPI") become the "intellectual property right owner of Tommy Hilfiger"? Perhaps they meant to say that they are the "intellectual property rights representative of Tommy Hilfiger"? If they cannot comprehend and communicate properly in English, how in the hell can they be expected to read and fully comprehend eBay auctions in English and then make a reasonably informed and lawfully accurate decision concerning wherther or not that auction violates anything? They can't.
Third, parallel imports are not illegal in both Europe and the U.S. The laws differ on what is a parallel import. What they are trying to do is prevent products from the U.S. from going to Europe where there is the same manufacturer in Europe. Under a recent UK court ruling, a manufacturer in Europe can block the importation of their product into that country from another country. Not necessarily so in the U.S. And, the court ruling said the manufacturer can block importation, not that they can interfere with perfectly legitimate eBay auctions in the U.S. By terminating U.S. auctions that say they ship worldwide, or that they ship to the UK, they are targeting products that might be imported into the UK, not items that are being imported. We yalk about this more on the Tommy Hilfiger Hall of Shame page.
We personally think that companies that have nothing better to do that spend time and money policing eBay auctions for a few of their own products that might be imported into the UK, or into Europe, are flaming assholes (and so are their cyber cops) and people should not but their products. They are more concerned about a few legitimate products when they should be seeking out counterfeits and fakes.

Corporate Office : Strategic Intellectual Property Information Private Limited
Address : 2, Palam Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, Pincode 110 057, India
Strategic Intellectual Property Information Private Limited
Address B- 66, First Floor, Sector 63, Noida, Pincode 201307
State Uttar Pradesh, India
Phone +91 120 4261057
Fax +91 120 4217757
Email info@sipi.in