Badges on eBay.

A hot topic on AOII's inCircle social networking site has been the sale of our badges on eBay. Here is a statement from Sherry Haman, our Administrative Director of Alumnae Services: Our past International President, Carole Jones, has worked on this issue diligently and has the following to share: Four years ago, all 26 NPC national presidents worked with a fraternal law attorney on the issue of selling sorority badges and insignia on eBay. She wrote a letter to eBay requesting for them to immediately cease and desist from displaying any such pins and insignia for sale. She reminded the company that sororities and fraternities have registered federal trade mark protection and common law rights in the pins and insignia. A response was received from eBay, who declined to cease and desist from selling the pins and believes they are on solid legal ground in its refusal. Our attorney discussed eBay's rationale with her intellectual property specialist partner and is satisfied based upon those discussions that eBay's position has support in the legal principles applicable to this area. The Executive Board of AOII is very disturbed that our badges are sold on eBay and has developed a statement requesting members from selling and purchasing AOII items at auctions (including eBay). Additionally, the AOII Emporium is licensed through Affinity Marketing Consultants. AMC regularly monitors any items sold on the internet that display AOII insignia. Each online vendor is contacted and dissuaded from selling such items, especially those that conflict with Alpha Omicron Pi's founding ideals. Ginger Banks, RT&J Chairperson, has in many instances persuaded online vendors to require that the buyer of the item for sale be an AOII. Ginger has also suggested that AOII's bid on these items in order to keep them from falling into the hands of non-members. Sign on to inCircle and join the "Badges on eBay" group to get more information on this issue.