RSS - Regulations, Statutes and Standards TMC

eBay's "Buy It Now" Option's Patent Infringement Woes Pop Up Again

June 15, 2007

Four years after a federal jury found that eBay had infringed on its patent, MercExchange LLC has asked that a court order a suspension of eBay's "Buy It Now!"option that allows eBay visitors to purchase an item without bidding on it first.

The Associated Press reports that  U.S. District Court Judge Jerome B. Friedman has not said when a ruling might be forthcoming.

The ispute between the auction giant and mercExchange goes back to 2003, when a jury decided MercExchange was entitled to $35 million in damages. The figure was later reduced to $25 millio.

In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a finding of patent infringement may or may not result in an injunction.

The patent is being reviewed by the U.S. Patent office, but MercExchange has decided to move now, before the final patent ruling is issued.

Listed below are links to sites that reference eBay's "Buy It Now" Option's Patent Infringement Woes Pop Up Again:

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for eBay's "Buy It Now" Option's Patent Infringement Woes Pop Up Again:
http://blog.tmcnet.com/mt3/t.fcgi/32750

Comments to eBay's "Buy It Now" Option's Patent Infringement Woes Pop Up Again


(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)