SFGate: Ebay to ban sales of ivory products in January

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008 (AP)
Ebay to ban sales of ivory products in January

(10-21) 08:15 PDT San Jose, Calif. (AP) --
EBay is banning the sale of ivory products to help protect African and
Asian elephants.
The policy will go into effect in December and will be enforced starting
in January, eBay Inc. said Monday.
"We simply can't ensure that ivory listed for sale on eBay is in
compliance with the complex regulations that govern its sale," Richard
Brewer-Hay wrote on the online auctioneer's blog eBay Ink.
Exceptions for some items with small amounts of ivory, such as pianos,
will be made, though the items must have been made before 1900.
Items that have a large amount of ivory, regardless of their age, will not
be permitted for sale. These would include chess sets and jewelry.
EBay banned cross-border sales of ivory products last year, but sales
"continued to be a concern within the company and among stakeholders,"
Brewer-Hay said.
The company said it works with international and domestic law enforcement
authorities like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and will help them in
investigations they initiate.
The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International
applauded the decision and said they first brought the issue to eBay after
an investigation in 2002 discovered thousands of ivory items.
"EBay's decision to wash its hands of the uncontrollable, bloody ivory
trade is commendable and should set an example for others," said Teresa
Telecky, policy director for Humane Society International. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2008 AP