In the first round of the latest legal battle between the two major Internet booksellers, Amazon.com has won a preliminary injunction barring barnesandnoble.com from using its version of "one-click technology" so long as Amazon's lawsuit against bn.com is pending. The technology at issue allows repeat customers to buy products without having to reenter basic information.
In a statement, bn.com said it will respond by launching in the next few days "express checkout," a system it had intended to begin using after the holidays--the new system will replace its disputed "express line" system. Noting its "disappointment," the company added, "We do not intend to sit and allow Amazon to stake a claim upon any technology that is widely used. Allowing them to do so abridges our rights as a leader in e-commerce, but more importantly limits the choices of consumers."
Federal District Court judge Marsha J. Pechman issued the ruling late last Wednesday in a case that disturbs other online retailers, many of whom use variations of the technology. Amazon introduced its 1-Click technology in September 1997 and received a patent this past September. Only a few weeks later, the company filed suit against bn.com, charging that its bookselling rival was "irreparably harming" it by "copying" the system (News, Nov. 1). Industry observers speculate that if Amazon wins the suit, it will try to seek royalties on such technology from its Internet retailing rivals.
