I entirely agree. Nearly every time the question of fake signatures comes up on this board, Ebay's failings are discussed.

The terrible forgery that Rown's spotted earlier in this thread sold, even though I reported it as a fake (Ebay ignore this) and we now find that live auctions can not be removed once listed.

I wonder if the Tolkien Estate could get Ebay to remove counterfeit signatures quickly when reported, using the Ebay Vero program, as we know that Christopher Tolkien resents the sale of these items. I hope that they have trademarked his signature as well.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/T ... acy-on-the-Web-64778.html

They have indeed trademarked his signature, though I do not know off the top of my head in which jurisdictions.

On the other hand a lot of signed books are being sold, and Christopher Tolkien himself has signed several limited editions, and added a lot of extra value to these books by doing so. So, since I guess he was payd to sign these copies, he actually sort of agreed business in autographs by signing the limited editions.

Registering the signature as a trade-mark more or less requires the intention to trade under it.

And it does not give one the right to stop trade in signed items - provided the items are genuine. But one could certainly regard offering counterfeit signatures for sale as a breach of trade-mark, and the Estate might use this as a legal tool to counteract such trade.

Christopher Tolkien's views on the matter of fake signatures (in regard to CoH) being sold on eBay, came to light recently in Jason Fisher's blog; in which he quoted from a letter from CT to Carl Hostetter. I believe the cops and villains were involved; & the Estates myriad eyes...

BH