Will the same thing happen to the GPA? Ebay stopping market data

[Sqeggs]

Overstreet

 

That would be panic button time.

 

Legally not sure how this works because eBay sales are not confidential -- they are a matter of public record. GPA has become critical to the marketplace.

 

Just because they are easily viewed doesn't mean they are actually public record. It is ebay's information. They could make a decision tomorrow that you can't view pricing unless you have an account, or unless you bid, or even unless you bid a certain amount. It'd be bad business of course, but they don't have a legal obligation to let anyone view their auctions or the prices in them (especially not historically).

 

The sales prices are public. eBay publishes them to the world, and people who have no interest in buying but are simply window shopping on eBay are not subject to any terms of use where they agree in advance to keep hammer prices confidential. So, yes, the sales prices are public record. But you are right that if eBay decides to close up viewing or accessing historical pricing, that is their prerogative because it's their site and they can limit viewing as they wish.

 

I'm not sure this entirely correct. I believe ComicLink claims ownership of its auction results, and so those prices aren't on GPA.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Overstreet

 

That would be panic button time.

 

Legally not sure how this works because eBay sales are not confidential -- they are a matter of public record. GPA has become critical to the marketplace.

 

Just because they are easily viewed doesn't mean they are actually public record. It is ebay's information. They could make a decision tomorrow that you can't view pricing unless you have an account, or unless you bid, or even unless you bid a certain amount. It'd be bad business of course, but they don't have a legal obligation to let anyone view their auctions or the prices in them (especially not historically).

 

The sales prices are public. eBay publishes them to the world, and people who have no interest in buying but are simply window shopping on eBay are not subject to any terms of use where they agree in advance to keep hammer prices confidential. So, yes, the sales prices are public record. But you are right that if eBay decides to close up viewing or accessing historical pricing, that is their prerogative because it's their site and they can limit viewing as they wish.

 

The sales prices aren't public. They are published, which is different.

 

Just because you can go to eBay.com and look at information from anywhere you can access the internet doesn't mean that information is public, and belongs to the public.

 

So, no, they are not a mater of public record, which would be things like permits, criminal records, and other such records that are maintained as a matter of law. eBay can (and does) limit the access that "the public" has, and theoretically, they could prevent anyone from recording that information by making it private at varying levels.

 

That they allow data mining by companies like GPA is really a bonus; they certainly don't have to. They own all the information on their website.

[VintageComics]

Does anyone officially practice international internet law?

 

I'm betting that who owns what on the internet is probably still debatable in many ways and even if some areas of ownership have been settled, it's probably not entirely enforcable worldwide. At least not yet.

 

Having said that, I spoke to the GoCollect people at a show a few years ago and they did tell me that they have been paying for eBay sales data all along.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Does anyone offivially practice international internet law?

 

I'm betting that who owns what on the internet is probably still debatable in many ways and even if some areas of ownership have been settled, it's probably not entirely enforcable worldwide. At least not yet.

 

Having said that, I spoke to the GoCollect people at a show a few years ago and they did tell me that they have been paying for eBay sales data all along.

 

Yes, but while what can happen to the information is difficult if not impossible to control once it is "out", the truth is still that eBay owns that information, and it is not public the way governmental and quasi-governmental records are.

 

If they wanted to, they could make the information private as soon as the listings ended.

 

And eBay carries (in theory, at least) all their sales data from the beginning, and last I heard, you were able to purchase this information, in specific categories, going back to at least 1997. They charged a ridiculous fortune for it, but it was available.

[jaybuck43]

Does anyone offivially practice international internet law?

 

I'm betting that who owns what on the internet is probably still debatable in many ways and even if some areas of ownership have been settled, it's probably not entirely enforcable worldwide. At least not yet.

 

Having said that, I spoke to the GoCollect people at a show a few years ago and they did tell me that they have been paying for eBay sales data all along.

 

I call it Intellectual Property Law but basically this is what I practice. Enforceability is always the issue. I can sue in China till my face turns blue but there is no mechanism in place to compel payment. To be fair, WE did the same thing in this country until 1886 (The Berne Convention)