Uber Is About to Face a Landmark Battle in Europe (fortune.com)

In a case which could affect other app-based startups, Uber will seek to convince Europe's top court next week that it is a digital service, not a transport company. The outcome could determine whether app-based startups should be exempt from strict laws meant for regular companies. From a report on Fortune:The European Commission is trying to boost e-commerce, a sector where the EU lags behind Asia and the United States, to drive economic growth and create jobs. The U.S. taxi app, which launched in Europe five years ago, has faced fierce opposition from regular taxi companies and some local authorities, who fear it creates unfair competition because it is not bound by strict local licensing and safety rules. Supporters however say rigid regulatory obligations protect incumbents and hinder the entry of digital startups which offer looser work arrangements to workers in the 28-country European Union looking for more flexibility, albeit without basic rights.

Comments

Re:If this is the case, beward companies.

[tlhIngan]

Ebay will be called an auction place and have to abide by rules in every town.
Paypal will be called a bank and have to obey laws.
Every tech company figures they're semi avoiding laws at least cuz it is new. The motto in tech ask for forgiveness, not ask for permission. If you limit yourself, you might not ever have a good idea to make billions. I've had many ideas that turned into multimillion or multibillion dollar companies, but I didn't do them myself because I didn't have a crew to do them with. It doesn't bother me, but just reassuring that my ideas are good.

eBay is an auction site and the sellers and buyers do have to abide by local laws. Like in Germany, eBay has had to remove Nazi stuff listed for sale, because it is illegal to sell those in Germany. eBay has also had to remove listings because they've violated laws.

Paypal IS actually a bank in the EU.

Anyhow, if the EU wants more e-commerce, why not start with something straightforward like selling of merchandise? Or even working on copyright and IP laws which would allow the sale of music, tv shows and movies throughout the EU without being country specific? That would seem to be the low-hanging fruit blocking EU-wide e-commerce.

Going after someone like Uber is going to be hard. Because there are some laws you want them to follow (e.g., non-discrimination). And depending on the country, if a taxi driver doesn't want to carry a fare that's hired them, they're forced to call another taxi AND THEN wait with the fare until the replacement taxi arrives. (This is so the refusing taxi can't go and get someone more lucrative in the meantime, as well as if it's bad weather, the fare doesn't have to wait in the weather).