Assignment Prompt 2

2. eBay operates a popular Internet website that allows private sellers to list goods they wish to sell, either through an auction or at a fixed price. MercExchange holds a number of patents, including a business method patent for an electronic market designed to facilitate the sale of goods between private individuals by establishing a central authority to promote trust among participants. When MercExchange discovered that eBay was utilizing this business process without its authorization, it filed a patent infringement suit. After a jury awarded MercExchange compensatory damages, MercExchange demanded that the court also issue a permanent injunction against eBay to prevent its future use of the patented business methods.

Question to Answer

Should the court automatically issue a permanent injunction against eBay? Explain.