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eBay in 'Buy It Now' Patent Dispute

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the buy-it-later dept.

smooth wombat writes "The Office of the Solicitor General of the United States has filed a brief with the Supreme Court, taking the side of MercExchange who is in a patent dispute with eBay over eBays Buy It Now feature. Two lower courts have already upheld MercExchange's patents including finding that eBay had willfully infringed on the Buy It Now patent. Later this month the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments. The Office of Solicitor General is arguing eBay should be barred from using Buy It Now due to the decision of two lower courts that upheld MercExchange's patents. eBay is arguing that infringements should not automatically result in injunctions and shutdowns."

3 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. Buy it now - NOW! by digitaldc · · Score: 5, Funny

    This one involves eBay and a company called MercExchange LLC, which says eBay's popular "Buy It Now" auction feature violates patents held by MercExchange.

    Solution, put the 'Buy it Now' patent on sale on eBay using the 'Buy it Now' feature for $50 million. Ebay will buy it then, and the problem is solved.

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  2. So this is why... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 5, Funny
    That rhetorical trick is good for scoring on sophomore girls who don't know any better, but not for serious intellectual discussion.

    This explains my inability to get laid in high school: It never occurred to me to discuss the politics of patent law with my dates...

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  3. Workaround by peaworth · · Score: 5, Funny

    Workaround -
    A button that says:
    Buy it... wait... Ok, now