EBay Spent $415,000 On Lobbying

Online auction site operator eBay Inc. spent $415,000 during the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on anti-counterfeiting measures and other issues, according to a disclosure report.

That was an increase of nearly 9 percent from the $382,500 eBay spent in the same quarter a year earlier, but 23 percent lower than the $539,000 it spent in the third quarter of 2009.

San Jose, Calif.-based eBay also lobbied the federal government on legislation involving issues such as visas for highly skilled workers, moves to control the emissions of greenhouse gases and the resale of tickets for events, according to the report filed on Jan. 13.

In the October-December period, eBay lobbied entities including Congress, the Commerce Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department, according to the report filed with the House clerk's office.