Auctions Rule

Can anything slow down eBay Inc.? As most other businesses face declining sales, it's doing brisk business in Iraqi Most Wanted Playing Cards. And eBay is moving more than war trinkets--it sold $5.3 billion worth of goods in the first quarter, a 79% rise from a year ago. That translated into $476.5 million in revenue and $104.2 million in net income. One speed bump arose last week: A trial began to determine if eBay has violated three patents held by MercExchange LLC related to the online auction process. EBay denies it violated the patents.