The Italian Versace Group won a lawsuit against the Philippine-based Griffith Suisse Luxury Group, which sold counterfeit Versace branded goods on the online marketplace eBay, alleging intellectual property infringement. This brings to an end a four-and-a-half-year dispute. The California court not only banned Griffith Swiss Luxury Group from using the Versace trademark in the future, but also permanently banned it from using eBay as a sales platform. Gian Giacomo Ferraris, CEO of the Versace Group, commented, "This ruling sets a precedent for anti-counterfeiting cases around the world," reaffirming the company's commitment to protecting its brand image and addressing issues such as labor exploitation and child labor that are rampant in the counterfeit goods business. In 2010, the group also filed a trademark infringement suit in the Los Angeles District Court in California, alleging widespread counterfeiting of its brand in the U.S. The lawsuit won $20 million in damages (approximately 1.85 billion yen at the time), the largest amount ever awarded by an Italian company to protect its trademark rights abroad.