The eBay Inc. Government Relations Team wishes you a very happy New Year! We have a lot of exciting things planned for 2014 and look forward to your continued support in the coming year.  

All of us at the eBay Inc. Government Relations office would like to wish Main Street members a happy, healthy and safe holiday season. This year was one of our most-successful years to date – we grew our membership, raised awareness about Commerce 3.0, and worked to protect small businesses from unfair Internet sales tax burdens. We couldn’t have had such a great year without the support of our members. Thank for making your voice heard in 2013. 

eBay Inc. Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Global Government Relations Tod Cohen joined representatives from the World Bank and the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday in Washington, D.C. to discuss barriers and opportunities for small businesses around the world. Cohen explained how eBay Inc.’s commerce platforms are creating opportunities and building a global empowerment network for the world’s small businesses.

Last week eBay Inc. State Government Relations staff spoke to members of the National Conference of State Legislatures during a panel conversation on Mobile Payments and Digital Currencies.  Other panel members included the CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association, a lawyer with Steptoe & Johnson, Policy Director for the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and a researcher with the Cato Institute.  The panel each gave their own unique perspective on payments, mobile payments and the regulatory landscape for payments - both mobile and traditional.

Earlier this month, eBay Inc.’s Ali Gabel served as a panelist for the Electronic Transactions Association’s luncheon during its Capitol Hill Day. The event kicked off with remarks by Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R/WV-02), the chairman of the House Financial Service Committee’s Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, a House subcommittee with jurisdiction over mobile issues.

Earlier this month, PayPal’s John Muller and Smitha Mortis Koppuzha and eBay Inc.’s Ali Gabel participated in CFA’s mobile payments dialogue in Washington, D.C. The focus of the event was how a shift from mag stripe to chip and pin technology could impact consumers’ dispute rights and what additional consumer protections, if any, are needed for mobile payments.

This post originally appeared on the eBay Inc. blog.

Television reporters from Bloomberg West visited eBay Inc. headquarters in San Jose, California this Monday for an in-depth look at our business.