EBay Sues Rival Auction Site BidBay

Internet auction leader EBay Inc. is suing a small rival called BidBay.com, asserting that it copied EBay’s look and feel to attract buyers and sellers.

EBay’s trademark-infringement lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, seeks damages and an injunction against BidBay. BidBay’s founder and president didn’t return a call seeking comment.

EBay lawyers complained that BidBay improperly uses the word “bay” in its title and displays a rainbow-color logo to give users a sense of its similarity to EBay. EBay lets users keep track of their buying and selling with a “my EBay” function. BidBay has one called “my BidBay.”

BidBay also hosts photos for EBay sellers. The lawsuit contends that BidBay exploits that connection by making its home page pop up in a new window when EBay users peruse an item with a photo hosted by BidBay.

BidBay.com, based in Tujunga, was launched last year by George Tannous, a former Internal Revenue Service agent who said he was frustrated by the “unfriendly attitude and lack of service” on EBay.