Dispatches | eBay Main Street - Public Policy and Breaking Ecommerce News

"Here Come the Cops!" - a blog post from Steve DelBianco of NetChoice.org

VirilionAdmin — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:08:15 +0000

If you watched today's Congressional hearing on "Combating Organized Retail Crime", you'd wonder how the rhetoric could change so significantly and positively, compared to a hearing on the same topic--in front of the same subcommittee-just a year ago.

eBay CEO Reiterates Open Internet Support

eBay Government Relations — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:54:16 +0000

John Donahoe joined with the CEOs of major Internet and technology industry companies, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Amazon in a letter of support for Net Neutrality to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is undertaking a rulemaking on the issue of non-discrimination on the Internet and the process is expected to run through early 2010.

Click here to read the full letter.

eBay France Meets Institut des Hautes Etudes de l'Entreprise (IHEE)

eBay Government Relations — Tue, 6 Oct 2009 19:43:08 +0000

The eBay Government Relations team in France had a successful meeting with 45 representatives from the Institut des Hautes Etudes de l'Entreprise (IHEE) - a program created by l'Institut de l'entreprise in 2000 to develop the links between the companies and other sectors of French society. eBay shared ideas about economic development and corporate life in the context of global business, to help encourage better understanding of the challenges facing the business world today.

FCC Chair Backs Net Neutrality

VirilionAdmin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:39:52 +0000

FCC Chair Backs Net Neutrality - In a victory for small business and all who love the open Internet, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski this week announced plans to formalize the current policies that require ISPs to treat all web traffic equally. eBay Inc. has been an outspoken advocate for net neutrality and its importance in enabling ecommerce for businesses of all sizes.

eBay presents 750,000 petition signatures to European Union

VirilionAdmin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:47:56 +0000

Strasbourg, France - September 17, 2009 - eBay today called on the European Union to amend EU competition law to stop brands from restricting the sale of their products on the internet. Presenting a petition signed by 750,000 European citizens, eBay called for an end to the abuse of 'selective distribution' agreements that unjustly block the online sale of legitimate products across Europe. Read more.

"I am eBay" Community Members Share Success Stories

VirilionAdmin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:26:32 +0000

Community members were recently given the opportunity to share their eBay success stories at the eBay Radio birthday party in Las Vegas. Check out these compelling videos of buyers and sellers explaining how eBay has impacted their lives.

eBay Recognized As Most Trusted Company for Privacy

VirilionAdmin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:40:01 +0000

Privacy and information management research firm Ponemon Institute along with Internet privacy leader TRUSTe have named eBay the 2009 Most Trusted Company for Privacy, citing the company as proof that an e-commerce site can protect consumer privacy while handling massive volumes of sensitive data across the globe. Read more.

Genachowski Affirms Net Neutrality Stance

VirilionAdmin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:08:06 +0000

The FCC remains committed to enforcing principles intended to ensure unobstructed access to Internet content, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski affirmed in an interview with CongressDaily. While much of the agency's manpower is focused on the tight statutory timeline for crafting a national broadband plan, network neutrality is still a top priority, he said, adding there is "no confusion in the marketplace" about whether this administration will be active on the issue. And in political developments, Democratic Reps. John Boccieri, a freshman from Ohio, and Rep.

iAWFUL Laws…They’re Baaaaack!

VirilionAdmin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:29:30 +0000

In June, we told you about iAWFUL (the Internet Advocates' Watchlist for Ugly Laws) as part of a broader effort to push back against America's worst Internet legislation. This week, NetChoice unveiled iAWFUL’s newest list of the 10 Worst Internet Bills/laws in America.

US House Committee Passes Consumer Protection Against Price Fixing

VirilionAdmin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:14:23 +0000

Today, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy passed the Discount Pricing Consumer Protection Act of 2009, H.R. 3190, by voice vote without opposition. eBay applauds the Committee for taking this important step to protect consumers and small businesses from the anti-competitive effects of retail price fixing.

What’s that Sound? It’s Twittering on Main Street

VirilionAdmin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:12:49 +0000

What’s that Sound? It’s Twittering on Main Street.

Want to be the first to know about updates to eBay Main Street and breaking public policy news? Login to twitter.com/ebaygr and sign-up to follow us. You’ll be alerted each time there’s a new story on ebaymainstreet.com.

Cohen Urges Congress to Support H.R.3190

VirilionAdmin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:06:27 +0000

eBay Voices Strong Support for the “Discount Pricing Consumer Protection Act of 2009”
July 16, 2009

Internet taxes: "Don't burden online retailers, help them grow."

VirilionAdmin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:36:54 +0000

In a recent Letter to the Editor of the Seattle Times, Tod Cohen, eBay Inc. Vice President for Government Relations argues that the "editorial advocating for new sales taxes on Internet retailers headlined "Sales-tax collections should be consistent" [Opinion, July 10] misses the mark. The "streamlined sales tax" it mentions would force small online businesses across Washington -- and the country -- to comply with complex tax laws from every tax jurisdiction in every state.

Are Stricter Internet Laws Coming to Your Neighborhood?

VirilionAdmin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:54:20 +0000

We know you care about regulations affecting the Internet. Now there's an easy way to follow legislation that could limit your access to a free and open Internet. Internet Advocates' Watchlist for Ugly Laws, iAWFUL, tracks laws across the country and allows you to quickly find out if legislators in your area are trying to stifle your usage.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Applauds eBay's Green Efforts

VirilionAdmin — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:57:12 +0000

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently spoke from an eBay campus in San Jose and applauded the company for its solar power installation (the largest in the city). He encouraged others to follow suit exclaiming, “There should be no rooftop in California without a solar panel.” Read more.

eBay GR Teams Up With Law Enforcement

VirilionAdmin — Wed, 6 May 2009 18:24:09 +0000

In early 2009, eBay's successful Law Enforcement division became a part of the Government Relations group. With the teams' respective histories and strong relationships with public officials and government bodies, the marriage made perfect sense. Check out our new Global Law Enforcement page to learn more.

Is eBay a “Special Interest"?

VirilionAdmin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:55:11 +0000

Yes, and we’re proud of it. According to a recent article by Greg Casey (full text below), President and CEO of The Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), “Every American is part of one special interest or another, whether as a group or as an individual. The right to be a special interest is written into everyone's Constitutional right to petition government…” So don’t be afraid to ask your lawmakers to support the issues that matter most to you. One of the easiest ways to do it is by responding to eBay Main Street action alerts.

eBay Ensures EU Growth

VirilionAdmin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:55:36 +0000

eBay has been a leading force in EU e-commerce policy discussions and recently launched a version of eBay Main Street specifically tailored to EU countries. On March 20, 2009, Tod Cohen, VP and Deputy General Counsel of eBay Inc., traveled to Bulgaria's capital to detail the opportunities and benefits e-commerce offers to both individuals and businesses.

eBay CEO Shares Counterfeit Findings in EU

VirilionAdmin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:05:25 +0000

eBay CEO John Donahoe met in Strasbourg last week with EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy to share the success of eBay’s anti-counterfeit efforts.

IRS Sets its Sights on Sellers with 200 Transactions, $20k in Sales

VirilionAdmin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:14:01 +0000

Read a recent blog post from PayPal senior director of government relations, Michelle Peacock, regarding new federal tax reporting laws that will impact many online merchants. Michelle cites a Forbes article with tips on how to prepare your eBay business for the 2011 regs.

eBay Tells Congress to Protect Internet Users

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 18:14:17 +0000

eBay understands the priorities of Internet users. That's why we wrote to Congress and asked them to reject discriminatory stolen goods legislation that would raise the prices consumers pay and jeopardize the safety of their personal information.

Discriminatory Retail Crime Bills Introduced

VirilionAdmin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:21:07 +0000

Read eBay's full statement on the online sale of stolen goods legislation. This legislation, just introduced in Congress and backed by the National Retail Federation, doesn't have much to do with shoplifting, despite the NRF's protestations to the contrary. Take action now and tell Congress to reject such retailer-biased, stolen goods laws.

Reuters, Bloomberg and NetChoice on the New Legislation

VirilionAdmin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:28:20 +0000

Details on the legislation are starting to emerge. Read about eBay's opposition in Bloomberg and Reuters. And read about the three bills' potential impact on e-commerce over at the NetChoice blog.

Tell Congress, “No New Net Taxes”

VirilionAdmin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:05:59 +0000

If you think adding a new tax burden on small Internet retailers is a bad idea, now is the time to make your voice heard. Send a letter to your U.S. Representative and Senators today.

How Will New Safety Regs Affect Resellers?

eBay Government Relations — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:17:42 +0000

HR 4040, the Consumer Safety and Improvement Act went into effect Feb. 10. How will it affect your online business? Check out eBay Ink’s recent interview with U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) spokesperson, Scott Wolfson to understand the Act and what it means to eBay sellers.

The Fuzz Comes to Washington

eBay Government Relations — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:11:18 +0000

eBay Government Relations is hosting a Law Enforcement Training session on April 21 in Washington, DC, to educate law enforcement professionals on how they can help solve Internet crime. eBay and PayPal Legal teams work tirelessly to support the prevention, detection and prosecution of criminal activity on eBay and PayPal sites.

Glad Ya’ Could Join Us

eBay Government Relations — Mon, 9 Feb 2009 02:15:40 +0000

eBay Main Street welcomed more than 6,000 new grassroots advocates this month as a result of a national recruitment campaign. With impending battles including the fight against new Internet sales taxes and retailers’ efforts to ban the sale of numerous eBay product categories, we need your help this year more than ever. Have friends who want to preserve a free and prosperous Internet? Encourage them to sign-up today!

Is Selling on eBay Addictive?

eBay Government Relations — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 19:26:14 +0000

National Retail Federation refuses to apologize for testifying before Congress that eBay is so addictive that when sellers "run out of legitimate merchandise, they begin to steal intermittently, many times for the first time in their life, so they can continue selling..."

"Price Fixing Put Me Out of Business"

eBay Government Relations — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 19:25:04 +0000

eBay Government Relations teams up with the American Antitrust Institute and former small business owners for a panel on retail price maintenance, aka: "price fixing" at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Lots of good pictures.