eBay being sued over patent infringement

From: Mail List <mail.list_at_analog-and-digital-solutions.com>
Date: Thu Apr 24 17:53:00 2003

Geoff,

> For small auction site operators like my wife

So tell us how to find your wife's site, and perhaps some among us
might check it out.




At 02:08 PM 4/24/03 -0700, you wrote:
>At 09:56 PM 4/23/03 -0500, you wrote:
>>On Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at 08:40 PM, Mail List wrote:
>>
>>>That's right here in the next town over. If it's an open courtroom I could
>>>go over there and check it out.
>>>
>>>I don't know about eBay and patent infringement, but I think eBay
>>>has a monopoly on the online auction market for private individuals
>>>which might warrant anti-trust action. I don't think a private individual
>>
>> The fact that an entity may be the only viable player on a given field
>> doesn't "warrant anti-trust action." If eBay is actively doing anything
>> to hinder their competition, other than doing what they do VERY well,
>> and marketing it well, *that* might warrant action.
>
>They are, the state of Illinois? has a new law that was pushed through
>with the help of ebay requiring the operators of any Internet auction site
>to register with that state "if any potential sellers or buyers reside
>within the state" at a fee of $200. of course you also have to find an
>auctioneer to "sponsor" you and you have to take state approved courses to
>maintain the registration (auction calling, and the like) :( the state is
>getting ready to start filing civil lawsuits seeking damages of up to
>$10,000 and the shutting down of the offending sites if you don't comply.
>
> For small auction site operators like my wife (she hasn't made any $
> from the thing yet and it's been running for > 6 months) that state's
> requirements are onerous.
Received on Thu Apr 24 2003 - 17:53:00 BST