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What exactly is this eBay seller doing? Is this considered counterfeiting?

I suggest you review the items for sale by an eBay seller named: presidentialcollectibles

It appears that this seller is using a new 2012 autopen machine and is counterfeiting, ( if that is the correct term?), celebrity autographs. The seller's description states that, "These signatures cannot be found anywhere else", so it is unclear if anyone else is also currently using this autopen device. Thus far, one can purchase a Neil Armstrong, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, Babe Ruth, or Elvis Presley autopenned ink signature, and according to the seller "provides high quality signature which is an exact replica of the original".

For obvious reasons, I find this 'new autopen machine' quite troubling. Aside from the potential influx of confounding new autotypes, does creating these autotypes represent an issue in intellectual property law? I am not a lawyer, but..................

Should the profits of sales of the 'new autopenned' signatures belong to the estate of the signators?

Examples:

Tags: al capone, autopen, babe ruth, counterfeit, elvis presley, forgeries, machine-signed, marilyn monroe, mike tyson, neil armstrong, More…obama

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Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 17, 2012 at 8:36am: China has become a major source of counterfeit coins. No doubt they're a source of fakes in other collectibles as well. This is the tip of the iceberg.

Comment by Steve Zarelli on September 17, 2012 at 9:00am: Counterfeit coins in fake slabs. Now counterfiet autographs. Presidentialcollectibles seems like an honest guy, but I'm sure the Chinese Connection wouldn't think twice about fulfilling orders for less than honest sellers who want signatures on vintage items. God only knows how many of these fakes are already out there.

There is another thread here about sellers with fake PSA and JSA certs. I wonder if there is also some overseas source for those counterfeits.

It's almost tempting to somehow "register" your most valuable collectibles now to be able to prove they pre-date the Tsunami of deceptive fakes that may hit.

Comment by Mike Shepherd on September 17, 2012 at 9:17am: I have never purchased an item authenticated by PSA or JSA but I always felt that if I ever did I would consider resending it for an authenticity confirmation and ask that it be re-cased, re-stickered, re-whatevered and have a new COA issued. Believe me, I know that this sounds crazy but it seems like anyone can counterfeit anything these days.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 17, 2012 at 9:23am: It's been true for years that virtually anything can be counterfeited. It's just getting easier to do so. But most forgeries can be detected fairly reliably and easily.

Comment by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on September 17, 2012 at 9:51am: Dick, you said:

These sellers are starting to pop up: Just found another.... check out: sports_buff

The Mike Tyson above has a sports_buff watermark, but it was in presidentialcollectibles' expired listings. I assume the same person is both sellers.

Comment by Richard S. Simon on September 17, 2012 at 9:58am: I am still not sure if we know the entire story here. If pres coll and sports buff are one and the same, why is it necessary to sell this stuff under two different accounts?

Comment by Richard S. Simon on September 17, 2012 at 10:00am: I am sure that CMG (formerly Curtis Mgmt Group) would be interested in seeing these Monroe's, Elvis', etc. They are due a cut on anything that is sold.

Comment by Richard S. Simon on September 17, 2012 at 10:05am: Pretty soon these "autographs" will be sold on street corners off tables. But wait they are doing that now on the street corner of the internet, Ebay. The bay is starting to become a cesspool once again. The only person who cared, and who would have probably removed the autopen stuff, is now gone and it is the wild west again.

Comment by presidentialcollectibles on September 17, 2012 at 11:03am: Hi Everyone

I want to clear a few things up. I have ended my auctions voluntarily until Ebay gets back to me with any suggestions they may have as to what else I can do to make sure that no one is victimized. I am going to mark the back of everything sold as REPLICA not an original signature. My listings will also have this in the description. I know that some of you will not agree with the sale of replica items but please consider that I am being 100% honest about what I am selling. I have also come to this forum voluntarily to share information that the autograph community was not aware of.