An eBay-related dispute that began way back in 2004 seems to have finally run its course.  Today, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision not to let Tiffany appeal previous legal losses regarding trademark violation and the sale of counterfeit goods.

Tiffany’s lawyers have argued for years that eBay should be proactive in keeping counterfeit products off its site and thereby protecting Tiffany’s reputation.  eBay’s representatives maintained that the site’s policy of responding to complaints is more than enough.

We’re not taking sides here, but April Fools’ Day seems like an appropriate time for some lawyers representing Tiffany to find out that they’ve wasted over a year and a half of their professional lives.  This afternoon, a court affirmed a previous ruling that favored eBay in a trademark infringement lawsuit.

Last month, a U.S. District Court judge sided with eBay when ruling on Tiffany & Co.’s suit against the auction business.  Tiffany proved its persistence today by filing an appeal.

eBay has won a major legal victory today, after a federal judge ruled that Tiffany was not able to prove the online auction company was responsible for the sale of counterfeit Tiffany jewelry on its Web site.

 The 2004 lawsuit brought by Tiffany in U.S. District Court in New York and the ruling in eBay’s favor could influence how business is done online.