EBay developing software it could use to run Skype if it can’t resolve tech licensing dispute

September 16th, 2009 Skype founders file lawsuit against eBaySAN FRANCISCO — A company owned by the founders of Skype has filed a copyright infringement suit against the Internet phone service and parent eBay Inc. — an action that could crimp eBay's plans to sell Skype for about $2 billion to a group of private investors.

April 15th, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - Online auction house eBay said Tuesday that it plans to spin off its online telephony business Skype via an initial public offering by the middle of next year. The announcement was seen as an admission by the auction powerhouse that its $2.6-billion purchase of Skype in 2005 had not worked out as expected.

September 1st, 2009 EBay Skype to sell stake in SkypeSAN JOSE, Calif. — EBay Inc.

April 11th, 2009 Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, who sold Skype to eBay four years ago for $2.6 billion, wants to buy them back. Yeah, weird may it sound but that is what is buzzing around in the technology world right now.

July 22nd, 2009 Economy keeps hurting eBay as 2Q profit fallsSAN FRANCISCO — The recession continued to hurt eBay Inc. in the second quarter, as earnings and revenue fell amid a sales decline in the main online marketplace, overshadowing growth in its payments and Skype communications units.

September 1st, 2009 EBay to sell part of telecom service Skype for $2BNEW YORK — EBay Inc. is trading control of the online telecommunications service Skype for about $2 billion, reversing a 2005 acquisition that many analysts considered a head scratcher from the beginning.

September 1st, 2009 EBay partially undoes Skype deal, selling majoritySAN FRANCISCO — Rather than enduring the uncertainty of spinning off the Skype telecommunications service through a public stock offering, eBay Inc. has found a different way out: It is selling the majority of Skype for about $2 billion to a group of private investors.

August 26th, 2006 Chief executive Jacob "Kobi" Alexander, who turned fugitive, has been tracked down in Sri Lanka by a private investigator based on a one-minute Skype call he made from Columbo. Alexander, aged 54, faces fraud charges over a stock options scandal involving the voicemail software firm he founded, Comverse.

May 8th, 2009 Alinghi laments Oracle snubbing talks to end spat GENEVA — America's Cup winner Alinghi said Thursday it "regrets" that challenger Oracle has rejected its offer to resume talks aimed at resolving a dispute over the next race. Alinghi's home club, Societe Nautique de Geneve, said it sent a letter to Golden Gate Yacht Club, which backs BMW Oracle Racing, inviting it to discuss the date, venue, race format and participation of other teams in the next race.

May 30th, 2006 New York Post confirmed that Microsoft has been involved in top secret discussions to buy eBay. Apparently Microsoft wants to merge eBay into its MSN portal as part of its "war" against Google.

May 17th, 2006 Skype 2.5 introduced strong stealth techniques in the software to make it harder to detect and block using ip filtering techniques. Unfortunately it has been cracked.

April 22nd, 2009 UK agency bans eBay ad claiming 25 pct discounts LONDON — Britain's advertising watchdog has told eBay to stop claiming that it offers new goods 25 percent below store prices. The Advertising Standards Authority said Wednesday that eBay's poster implied that shoppers could buy anything at that discount from store prices.

September 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - European researchers have created a legal analysis query engine that combines artificial intelligence, game theory and semantics to offer advice, conflict prevention and dispute settlement for European law. European law is complex, many layered and expanding.

October 5th, 2009 Bid on eBay for a Denver hotel for New Year's EveDENVER — The Curtis Hotel in Denver is putting itself up for auction on eBay for New Year's Eve. The winning bidder gets 330 rooms, the grand ballroom, live music, champagne, caviar, dinner, breakfast and of course all the staff to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime party.

September 18th, 2009 French court rules against eBay for counterfeitingPARIS — A French court has found eBay responsible for brand counterfeiting and ordered the online marketplace operator to pay the luxury group LVMH euro80,000 ($118,000) compensation for damages caused to famous perfume brands like Christian Dior and Kenzo. The Paris-based LVMH SA conglomerate had sued eBay Inc., accusing the San Jose, Calif.-based company of using its brands as keywords in Internet searches.