New York Times: eBay to sell Skype
The New York Times is reporting that eBay will sell the popular VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) program - Skype - to private investors for an undisclose amount. It's also unclear if the founders, Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, are involved in the purchase.
Licensing deal could kill Skype
eBay has stated that it may have to kill its popular telephony client, Skype because of licensing issues. eBay, who purchased Skype back in 2005, has been licensing the technology to run Skype from its founders, which have recently pulled the licensing agreement. The fate of Skype now rests in the hands of the courts as they will decide whether eBay can continue to use the technology or if they will have to shut the service down.
eBay Live! conference canceled for good
The annual EBay Live! conference scheduled for August 2010 in Orlando, Florida has been canceled in favor of "more local events that don't require costly travel", according to an internal blog post. Ebay had already cancelled their 2009 event.
eBay begins removal of Skype services from auctions
Source:
Permalink
The popular auction site will soon remove Skype voice and chat services from auction pages. Beginning June 10th, users will no longer see "Skype Me" links while browsing for a bargain. The move is in preparation of the separation of the two companies as eBay stated earlier this year that it will spin Skype off as its own organization which will then be sold.
eBay to eliminate fees for sellers
Facing mounting competition from the likes of Craigslist,eBay will eliminate selling fees to attract more users. eBayers will be able to sell five items for 30 days without paying the upfront fees.
Skype to be IPO’d by next year
Silicon Alley Insider gives the scoop on eBay and its release of internet phone company Skype. Reporter Henry Blodget has this to say about the ordeal:
T-Mobile Germany: People who use Skype on iPhone could void contracts
T-Mobile Germany (Deustche Telekom) says mobile customers who use Skype on their iPhone could violate their contract, which would terminate the agreement, according to the Associated Press.