eBayers in court : crime links for 15th February

A Kent optometrist who stole more than £1,500 worth of equipment and sunglasses from his employers and sold them on eBay has been struck off. The Aylesford man admitted theft and was given 200 hours community service. He will have to pay £1,510 compensation and £560 costs.

A Wiltshire man has been prosecuted for trading on eBay while claiming benefits. The man traded in handmade bird boxes while claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit. Though he paid back the £2,000 overpayment of benefit when North Wiltshire District Council notified him, he was still prosecuted. He claimed he was unaware that he needed to declare eBay income; a spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions quite rightly said “you have to see selling stuff on eBay in the same way as someone doing a part time job.”

Adobe and Symantec are suing nine eBay sellers, claiming that they were selling pirated software. The action is part of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)’s Auction Litigation Program, which trawls eBay for illegal software, and even pays a bounty to buyers who turn in pirate sellers.