The company that lets you find "it" is now needing to find a way to stop Congress from ruining its business. Proposed legislation, if made law, is threatening to require all sellers of goods to disclose your name, address, and phone number to all potential purchasers. This would be a huge blow to partners who sell products on the eBay site.

In an email sent at 9:27 PM yesterday, eBay sent me a message that warns of legislation that could harm sellers:
Dear [James],

We wanted to let you know about proposed legislation in Congress that could have a negative impact on you and your eBay sales if it passes.

Because of major theft problems, many large retail stores are lobbying Congress to pass a new "stolen goods" law. The proposed legislation would force you to disclose sensitive personal information on the Internet, including your actual name, your business address and your phone number on every listing. There have also been proposals that would require you to register your product source, with those records made available to any retailer or competitor that claims the goods were stolen.

This legislation would also require operators of Internet marketplaces like eBay to investigate sellers for stolen goods whenever big retailers raise questions about the price of merchandise. Given the millions of items listed on eBay each day, many at highly competitive prices, these investigations--and the new criminal liability being imposed on marketplace operators like eBay--would allow big retailers to bring online marketplaces to a grinding halt.

While retail theft is a serious problem that needs to be addressed, this type of legislation is not the solution. It unfairly--and wrongly--targets online marketplaces like eBay and singles out Internet-enabled sellers like you.

Defend your business and your rights. Contact a Member of Congress today and tell them to reject such retailer-biased, "stolen goods" laws.

Make your voice heard now!

Sincerely,
eBay Government Relations
A double-edged sword is what we have here. People who bid on items would have increased security in knowing where their products come from. People who sell products would lose privacy, and to be realistic, who would want to give out their home address to complete strangers simply to sell a used bowling ball?

People who purchase from online marketplaces might think it is a great idea, but in most cases it will simply drive prices up as people who are willing to sell items at a lower cost to you will be discouraged from bothering with the process of selling on these sites. In the end the bigger sellers survive, the smaller sellers suffer, and the retail companies celebrate.

My thoughts on the situation are simple. Punish companies which do not protect and enforce against situations like these. Force online marketplaces to take people more seriously who report stolen items. Crack down on single marketplaces, instead of punishing all online marketplaces. It is not necessary for this to be done now.