eBay Main Street

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On September 16th, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-CA) sent a letter to leaders of the House Judiciary Committee, urging them to reject any attempt to advance H.R. 5660, legislation expanding sales taxes on the Internet, unless a robust small business exemption is added to the legislation. eBay appreciates the support that these Members of Congress have shown for the hundreds of thousands of small online retailers and entrepreneurs that would be impacted by the new tax burdens of the proposed bill.

On Monday, eBay along with Microsoft and Intel sent a letter to Chairman Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Ranking Member Ed Whitfield (R-KY), the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, in support of Chairman Rush’s initiative to enact comprehensive privacy legislation. Over the years, eBay has advocated for strong federal privacy legislation that not only ensures consumers’ trust and confidence in ecommerce, but also encourages innovation and growth on the Internet. Click here to read more information and find a link to the official letter.

In July, the United States Postal Service requested that the Postal Regulatory Commission approve a special rate increase on a wide range of USPS services, including a 6.7% rate increase on package shipping services. eBay participated in the Postal Regulatory Commission review of the USPS rate increase request, opposing the proposed rate increase because the additional costs would negatively impact hundreds of thousands of small business retailers and e-commerce entrepreneurs who rely on the Postal Service for quality and affordable shipping services. We are pleased that the Postal Regulatory Commission heard the concerns expressed by eBay and a number of other concerned entities and announced yesterday it has denied the USPS’ special rate increase. Click here to read more and the full comments submitted to the PRC.

On September 15th, eBay invited some top sellers from around the country to attend Government Relations Day at the Top Seller Summit in Washington D.C. Here a few photos from their day on Capitol Hill.

“In order to support small businesses, any new online tax collection that emerges should exempt small businesses, and only the largest Internet retailers should face this new burden,” said John Donahoe, CEO of eBay Inc., in a recent letter to the editor of the San Jose Mercury News. Click here to see the full letter and to read more about how e-commerce creates opportunity and jobs for sellers, and real value for consumers.

Click here to see photos of eBay CEO John Donahoe’s recent trip to China, as well as other recent happenings from our Asia Pacific Government Relations team.

eBay believes the Resolution highlights key issues to be resolved to deliver results for consumers; puts pressure on the European Commission to deliver new legislation to remove barriers to e-commerce.

On Tuesday, September 14th, the eBay Green and Government Relations teams hosted two successful events in Washington, D.C. with John Donahoe, eBay\'s CEO. The setting was an intimate breakfast discussion with senior environmental NGO leaders, and a larger panel discussion on the environmental benefits of peer-to-peer ecommerce. Click here to read more.

Dan Dougherty, Senior Director and Associate General Counsel of eBay Inc. has been named one of the 25 Most Influential People in IP (Intellectual Property) Law by The American Lawyer magazine. As eBay’s top IP attorney, Dougherty oversees the company’s legal work related to trademarks. Click here to read more about Dan and the award.