Dee makes an excellent point in her comment at eBay Ink…
Referencing the current results (subject to change) of the attempt to impose a PayPal only payment process on eBay Australia which eBay has been told by the Australian government it could not implement and the latest $63 Million fine by a French court for not properly policing the eBay site for counterfeits Dee reminded us;
eBay: In France – “today’s ruling is about an attempt by LVMH to protect uncompetitive commercial practices at the expense of consumer choice and the livelihood of law-abiding sellers that eBay empowers everyday.”
The ACCC in Australia …read more

I am taking this upon myself…
If you want to learn how to be an Internet Marketer;
Allen Says, the owner of the Warrior forum, has made a new forum available where you can find real value in each and every thread posted.
It’s called [drum roll... :)] – The Warrior Private Membership Forum
That link won’t get you in – you’ll need to pay a one off fee that started at $20 and will be going higher. This is without a doubt the best $20 I have ever spent online and I only joined last night. Of course, I’ve been a Warrior forum …read more

From the BBC News;
Blogger arrests hit record high
“More bloggers than ever face arrest for exposing human rights abuses or criticising governments, says a report.
Since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for publishing their views on a blog, says the University of Washington annual report.”
Those of us who currently have the freedom to write ought to remain grateful even in the face of the destruction of privacy laws, net neutrality, freedom of speech, etc. Try this on…
“More than half of all the arrests since 2003 have been made in China, Egypt and Iran, said the report.”
Arrested for blogging to expose “corruption …read more

One man’s opinion – this is criminal but there is one aspect more criminal – our pathetic, lackadaisical attitude towards it. We are screwing ourselves. This administration is taking advantage of us!
From The Electronic Frontier Foundation;
Report: Deal to Stop Courts From Ruling on Illegal Warrantless Wiretaps Imminent
“Today The Hill and Congressional Quarterly are reporting that a deal has been reached on legislation to amend FISA, which will include retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies. Under the guise of a compromise, the legislation is designed to ensure that the only issue the courts will review is whether or not the President …read more

Referring again to this definition of Restraint of Trade, continuing to give consideration to current events;
We’ll take a look at the third court determined legal standard, the Truncated Rule of Reason. There really isn’t much there yet its importance is just as great;
“The truncated rule of reason test is used in cases where the per se test is not applicable but where nonetheless “no elaborate industry analysis is required to demonstrate the anticompetitive character” of the restraint (NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma).”
I don’t want to neglect additional considerations or anti-competitive trade practices violators might engage …read more

Maybe if you conduct some illegal spying activities for the government you could get your car filled up for… sorry, you have to have immunity first!
I found this article at the Electronic Frontier Foundation: “Spying Telecoms Receive Billions in Government Contracts” and I believe this information ought to be passed along to as many folks as possible. Much thanks to the author, Kurt Opsahl.
“The telecoms who are being sued for their cooperation in the government’s illegal warrantless surveillance program have received billions in government contracts. According to Washington Technology magazine, Verizon received $1.3 billion, Sprint $839 million and AT&T $505 …read more

Your printer has screwed up my works in the past and was not amenable to discussion about it. Your printer cost me money and reputation by their actions when they screwed up my works with their mistakes. I don’t want to use them! This is the US of A and I have the right to choose who I want to print my books! Who the he** are you to tell me I am required to use the printer you’ve chosen?
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Through the years you and I had developed a business relationship. You provided a web site that allowed me to …read more

Referring again to this definition of Restraint of Trade, giving consideration to current events;
We’ll take a look at the second court determined legal standard, the Per Se Test.
In Northern Pacific Railroad Co. v. United States (1958), the U.S. Supreme Court found that illegal restraints can sometimes fall outside a rule of reason analysis. In such cases carefully defined categories of restraint are illegal per se because “their pernicious effect on competition and lack of any redeeming virtue are conclusively presumed to be unreasonable and therefore illegal without elaborate inquiry as to the precise harm they have caused.” Related is the …read more

I think this is worth passing along because it might be useful in a number of online situations currently being discussed…
Restraint of Trade
The people who wrote the Sherman Anti-Trust Act were purposefully vague because they apparently wanted to leave many decisions about this up to the courts and it worked. Since 1890, “the courts have come up with three different legal standards to be used in determining restraint of trade.” This is one;
Rule of reason

I thought these two were trying to fool each other but…
It seems I was wrong.
I also thought one of them was probably telling the truth…
Seems I was right.
In Restless Pursuit of Craigslist’s Success
“The Kijiji unit of eBay, a free classified ads service covering 13 countries online, was introduced in the United States in late June, and has already achieved modest success in some important markets, including New York. Its vice president and general manager, Jacob Aqraou, said it would market itself far more aggressively in 2008, and was further refining its service in hopes of putting a dent in Craigslist’s …read more