Last week, PayPal co-sponsored an event with Google about the future of online authentication entitled “Replacing Passwords: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". The event was also an opportunity to introduce the FIDO Alliance and their new authentication standards. The FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance is a non-profit organization formed in July 2012 to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication devices as well as the problems users face with creating and remembering multiple usernames and passwords.

This week, Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, circulated a draft Internet sales tax bill. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Goodlatte has jurisdiction over interstate commerce issues, including Internet sales taxes.

Last week, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law Chairman Tom Marino (R-Pa.), Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) introduced H.R. 235, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (PITFA). The bill would make permanent the law that prevents state and local governments from imposing new taxes on Internet access, and prohibits any multiple or discriminatory taxes on e-commerce.

Last week, while speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman, Tom Wheeler, hinted that he's in favor of President Obama's net neutrality proposal, which would classify broadband Internet service under Title II of the Communications Act. On November 10th, President Obama issued a statement that called on the FCC to issue a rule that protects network neutrality and the Open Internet.

We wanted to alert our Main Street members to a unique opportunity available to small businesses looking to grow the potential of their business. The U.S. Commercial Service, in cooperation with NASA, will host a three-day business forum in Silicon Valley, February 9-11, 2015, focused on opportunities for U.S. companies to meet global demand for sustainable solutions. According to the U.S.

The 114th Congress takes office for the first time today and eBay Inc. Government Relations would like to welcome the Members of the 114^th Congress. We look forward to working with the 114^th Congress over the next two years on a number of important issues facing Internet enabled small businesses all across the country.

The Concord Monitor (NH) recently published an article highlighting the success of Joe Cortese, owner of NobleSpirit based in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. Cortese uses eBay to sell stamps to collectors all over the world. In fact, he has made nearly 150,000 sales since 1998 and he conducts all of his business on eBay Marketplaces.