The action comes some two months after eBay blocked AuctionWatch from searching its auction listings. Sales said it is only being used to search eBay's listings. AuctionWatch has been at a disadvantage compared with Bidder's Edge and other auction service sites that despite eBay's objections, have continued to list eBay's auctions alongside those of other auction sites. We feel we have to respond to our customers needs. He said eBay had not yet decided how and when it will respond.
Online auctions represent a growing segment of e-commerce.
As the online auction market has grown, more and more companies seem to want a piece of the action. Companies such as Yahoo, Amazon and Excite have started their own auctions, while sites such as Ruby Lane, Bidder's Edge and AuctionWatch have emerged to cater to the needs of auction users. The leading auction house has claimed that the auction searches affect system performance for eBay users, display incomplete or inaccurate results, and violate its intellectual property. AuctionWatch launched its auction search after eBay's initial appeal to the auction service sites. After eBay blocked AuctionWatch, Bidder's Edge, which was one of the first sites to comply with eBay's appeal, resumed searching eBay's auctions.