MercExchange is a technology development and on-line auction company.
The following companies have licensed MercExchange technology as of April 2007.
[1] MercExchange was engaged in a legal dispute over an alleged unauthorized use of one of its patents by eBay, via that auction house's "Buy It Now" feature that allow customers to bypass the normal auction procedures.
[2] However, in a 2006 US Supreme Court ruling, MercExchange was found not to be automatically entitled to a court order blocking use of the technology, due to no indication that 'irreparable harm' had been suffered by the company, that the company had never actually used the invention itself and that it had been more than willing to license the technology to others.
[3] The District Court issued an order denying MercExchange a permanent injunction in December 2007,[4] and the two parties reached a confidential settlement in 2008.