Supreme Court: We'll review eBay's patent case

Published on November 28, 2005 By Clonmelchat In Blogging

The U.S. Supreme Court will review a patent infringement case against eBay, granting the online auctioneer's petition on Monday.

The matter under review is whether to allow MercExchange, the plaintiff in the case, to obtain a permanent injunction against eBay related to the way it handles fixed-price sales. A district court in 2003 found that eBay's "Buy It Now" feature infringed on two MercExchange patents. Buy It Now allows consumers to purchase an item without participating in an auction.

A federal appeals court later ruled in favor of a permanent injunction and awarded MercExchange $25 million in damages. The appeals court also ruled that eBay had infringed on only one of MercExchange's patents.

The nation's highest court rejects a vast majority of petitions for review, so the decision to grant eBay's request for cert, or writ of certiorari, was somewhat unexpected.

"We're gratified that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear this important case," eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said.

The Supreme Court's decision in this case could hold broad implications for patent holders and those accused of infringing on them. Judges commonly issue injunctions against companies found guilty of infringement while their cases are on appeal. eBay wants the high court to question that practice, which has hamstrung numerous high-technology companies. Microsoft and Cisco Systems filed a joint brief with the Supreme Court in support of eBay's petition.

"I am not surprised that the Supreme Court agreed to grant cert, as this is a very hot issue with lots of amicus interest expected," said E. Patrick Ellisen, an intellectual-property attorney at Foley & Lardner. "This issue has also been central in the Congressional debate over patent reform."

Supreme Court: We'll review eBay's patent case ZDNet Nov 28 2005 9:33PM GMT

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