eBay being sued over patent infringement

http://www.lordandlady.net it's sci-fi, Fantasy ,Ren/Mediaeval and goth stuff At 06:51 PM 4/24/03 -0400, you wrote: >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.