Tag archive: Great Falls

A $29.5 million verdict in a patent infringement lawsuit against Internet auction house eBay will bring changes in how the company conducts sales of fixed-price merchandise. Jay Monahan, eBay's vice president for litigation, said the company still believes the patents belonging to Virginia inventor Thomas G. Woolston are invalid, but nonetheless plans to implement design changes that will avoid infringing on them in the future. A… Read More

Tuesday's $35 million award did not involve eBay's primary auction business. But patent law experts said it may force eBay to drop Half.com, a discount e-market, and “Buy it Now,” which offers fixed-price options on eBay's main auction site. About a third of the company's merchandise can be purchased for a fixed price. “If it's upheld that the patents were violated, then the court could… Read More