eBay

A lovely article on a French government agency's attempt to compel eBay to accept regulation in France, like all other auction houses... Typical meaningless bullcrap from eBay representative: "The company said that the regulations should not apply because it is not an auction house, just a facilitator. "EBay has invented a new way of buying and selling, which has been adopted by 10 million French people, and which is not at all the same as that of auction houses," said a company statement. It called the action "totally unjust"." Response from the French: "The Council said that it did not accept eBay's assertion that it was simply a broker and not an actual auctioneer. "What is the difference?" Giacomotto said to The Times. "They charge a commission to the seller and a commission to the buyer. These people cannot say they are responsible for nothing at all." Which rather seems to nail it.