Motorola to prevent secondhand AURA sales on eBay?

We'll be completely straight-up with you: we don't believe this for a second. Okay, maybe for a nanosecond, but not a full-on second. An unnamed source close to Motorola has reportedly informed Register Hardware that in order to maintain the AURA's appearance of exclusivity, buyers will be required to "sign into a contract that states they can't sell it on eBay." As if that wasn't preposterous enough, this so-called "source" also added that "if an AURA owner wants to sell their phone after they've bought it then they'll only have one option: to sell it back to the manufacturer." Even if this does miraculously prove true, we can't imagine Moto actually doing anything should someone decide to sell, and besides, there's always Yahoo! Auctions the flea market, right?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2008 3:44PM]

No need to sign a contract...With ebay's current CEO, John Donahoe and all of his and Meg Whitman's OUTRAGEOUS "Disruptive Innovation" policies killing the businesses and reputations of it's users, I would NEVER buy or sell on ebay anyway.

This is NO HOAX: "Ebay Stockholders and Sellers Calling For Immediate Termination of John Donohoe CEO"! Search for the title on the internet to read what users are really experiencing on ebay (and Paypal, owned by ebay).

After you sign the PETITION TO REMOVE JOHN DONAHOE, please send the information to everyone you know or place the information on any site you can think of.

petition is found at petitiononline.com

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2008 3:48PM]

To see the petition to remove ebay's CEO, Donahoe, and to read users commemts, click on:

http://www.petitiononline.com/jdonohoe/petition.html

"Ebay Stockholders and Sellers Calling For Immediate Termination of John Donohoe CEO "

[FlyersPh9 Posted Nov 3rd 2008 6:07PM]

Engadget, you could have at least changed the angle of the clearly stolen Best Buy logo...all you did was color it red and slap some text on it. For shame...

[GuyB Posted Nov 3rd 2008 8:42PM]

Owner:
1: Um, my AURA was stolen,
2: Um, I lost my AURA
3: Um, I lost my AURA in a wager
4: Um, I gave my AURA away as a gift.

Recipient of the AURA in all of the above:
1: I didn't sign no contract or agreement with Motorola not to sell it on eBay so go f.... yourself...

Get over yourself Motorola.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2008 10:55PM]

If you own something you can alienate it (sell it) because you have full title. Absent any legislative and/or jurisdictional restriction, I cannot see how contract law will allow such a clause to be enforceable, and it doesn't matter if the purchaser signed the contract. Moto of course retains its intellectual property rights such as its Trademark, but this doesn't prevent the owner from on selling it, like selling a Sony television on Ebay as there is no intellectual property infringement. In order for Moto to have standing it must retain some property rights to the item which will give it standing in a court. One way to do this is to license, either the entire phone or some component of it where the license is non transferrable without Moto's consent. This way Moto can make the phone useless if it's sold or just prevent it alltogther as a breach of the license conditions. However, would anyone in their right mind pay so much to 'license' a phone? Well some rich people have done some really dumb things to have bling so don't be surprised XD. Anyhows, that's my two cents worth. Disclaimer: This is not given as legal advice if ur gonna action something get ur own legal advice.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 4th 2008 8:08PM]

Haha while most web comments are pretty ignorant, you comments are clearly arguable in court and most likely would prevail ;o)

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 4th 2008 1:13PM]

The price is a bit extortionate. I'd rather pay for how much the circuit board and software is worth.


I.E. $10

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 4th 2008 6:51PM]

Haha... fuckem I say and buy NONE of their products, and don't be afraid to shoot them an email telling them that ;o)

[webterractive Posted Nov 13th 2008 11:13AM]

Well it could be possible, I mean what's the worse thing that can happen? it won't work like the first Blackberry Bolds sold in ebay after RIM shut them down?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 13th 2008 9:53AM]

What a JOKE!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130275052393&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 13th 2008 6:24PM]

What a JOKE!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130275052393&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123