This year, the eBay Inc. Legal team had the great honor of winning two awards for legal excellence from The Recorder, California's leading legal news and analysis publication. For The Recorder’s third annual Legal Department of the Year awards, editors reviewed over 70  nominations to choose winners in nine different categories. In 2014, eBay Inc. received the awards in the categories of Patent Strategy and Government Affairs.

Government Affairs

eBay Inc. Global Government Relations has worked with customers and stakeholders around the world to create opportunities and fight harmful policies that impact the company and the hundreds of millions of users on eBay Inc. platforms. Our team has launched several campaigns on federal Internet Sales Tax legislation to protect small tech-enabled businesses from harmful tax policy. eBay Inc. has also created a Public Policy Lab dedicated to identifying the new public policy challenges created by the rapid convergence of technology, commerce and payments. In addition, eBay Inc. Legal/Government Relations team has been working to eliminate selective distribution policies established by some of the world’s largest brands to prevent the resale of items on eBay, hampering economic development by putting small business sellers at a disadvantage.

Patent Strategy

eBay Inc. is a technology company and protecting its technology through patents is fundamental to eBay’s business and future. eBay Inc. invests significant money and resources to its patent portfolio and currently has over 4500 patents and patent applications. We are active industry leaders in patent reform legislation efforts and seek to keep processes in place that get rid of invalid patents without going through the enormous expense of patent litigation. We seek to reduce frivolous patent litigation and the expense and burden on the court system, and keep patent litigation for valid patents that will actually survive trial.