DeLonghi is suing Avito just to dox and sue Russians selling used coffee makers

DeLonghi Appliances S.r.l. has launched a highly specific legal crusade against Avito, the Russian equivalent of Craigslist. Instead of going after massive industrial smugglers, the Italian brand is targeting everyday folks trying to get rid of their old kitchen appliances.

The legal loophole here is brilliant in its pettiness. Russian privacy laws prevent Avito from just handing over user data to angry foreign corporations. To bypass this, DeLonghi files a trademark infringement lawsuit against the platform itself. Once the court process begins, the judges kindly allow the Italian giant to swap the defendant from Avito to the actual, unsuspecting individuals who posted the ads.

Once the real names and addresses are unmasked, DeLonghi demands modest financial compensation for trademark infringement. The platform maintains it blocks illegal listings when flagged but simply cannot play digital police for millions of private individuals selling their old stuff.

This aggressive legal hunting makes DeLonghi the first major home appliance brand to actively stalk the Russian secondhand market after officially exiting the country. They follow in the footsteps of an Austrian ski manufacturer and a Japanese barber equipment brand who previously used the exact same court-ordered doxing tactic.

There is something incredibly dystopian about a multi-billion-dollar luxury brand hiring lawyers to hunt down a guy in Novosibirsk trying to sell a dusty, semi-functional espresso maker for pocket change. It turns out leaving the market actually means the customer service department is gone, but the legal department is still on standby.