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States Planning to Require License to Sell on EBay
RobMowery writes "CNN reports that North Dakota and other state governments are trying to pass laws to require people who are selling for others on Ebay to purchase an auctioneer license, attend classes (for a fee) and become bonded." From the article: "North Dakota's Public Service Commission is exploring whether people like Nichols, who runs a small consignment store in Crosby, must obtain auctioneer licenses before they can legally use eBay to sell merchandise for others. Regulators in other states are also eyeing similar restrictions or preconditions, moves prompted by the growing popularity of online auctions. To get a North Dakota auctioneer's license, applicants must pay a $35 fee, obtain a $5,000 surety bond and undergo training at one of eight approved auction schools, where the curriculum includes talking really fast ... Commissioner Kevin Cramer said he does not believe the law applies to people who sell their own goods over eBay, but it could cover those who sell property consigned by others for a fee."
This only pertains to people who sell other people's goods online. The headline is misleading.
A blog like any other.
They'd have to be bonded - that's the protection.
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
For the record, Ayn Rand would be proud of your assessment of libertarians.
As for the question of whether the state will start regulating more than just consigners, you don't need to read a 1,000+ page book for the answer. You just need common sense.
"God deliver us from our friends, we can handle the enemy." -Patton