eBay, Inc. v. Bidder's Edge, Inc.

On Dec. 10, 1999, eBay, the world's largest Internet auction service, filed a complaint against Bidder's Edge, alleging trespass to personal property, unfair business practices, copyright infringement, misappropriation, false advertising, trademark dilution, injury to business reputation, interference with prospective economic advantage, and unjust enrichment.  The defendent in this case lists prices from dozens of Internet auction sites, including eBay, thus allowing the viewer to shop for items from many different sites at once.

On May 24, 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald M. Whyte issued a preliminary injuction ordering Bidder's Edge to stop spidering auction data from eBay and posting it on its site. The judge ruled that the spidering deprived eBay of the use of its personal property, likening the activity to unlawful trespass and expressing concern about potential harm to eBay's computer resources. 

More Information
(requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

eBay, Inc. v. Bidder's Edge, Inc. Order Granting P.I.

eBay, Inc. v. Bidder's Edge, Inc. Complaint