Fergie's Tech Blog

Justices Will Hear Patent Case Against eBay

The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in a protracted, closely watched patent case that pits a small company called MercExchange against eBay, the online auction and marketplace.

While the grounds in the case appear narrow — the court will reconsider the rules under which courts grant injunctions against a company found to be infringing another's patent — it has attracted enormous attention because of the public rancor between the two companies, the supporters enlisted by both sides and the growing issue of how large technology companies deal with the constant threat of patent challenges.

The patent in question surrounds the "Buy It Now" feature that eBay uses to allow processing of transactions for the Web site's fixed-price purchasing option.

posted by Fergie @ 3/27/2006 06:20:00 AM