Evan

Cardiff

Researcher

I can see Andrew's POV but I don't think he's entirely right. the market for stolen goods is not entirely amongst poeple who know they're stolen. I've bought second hand on eBay, from various shops, and off mates. Being able to check the provenance of what I want to buy is useful - if the eBay seller refuses to give you the serial number you won't even bid. Ultimately this sort of thing will reduce the resale value of stolen goods, and improve detection, making them less attractive.

I agree with Simon though - if this information was free there's be a much bigger takeup and a much greater impact.