Craigslist Sues eBay, Alleging Corporate Spy Plan

SAN FRANCISCO(Reuters) – Online classifieds leader Craigslist.com on Monday filed acountersuit against business rival eBay Inc, alleging eBay had used itsminority stake in Craigslist to steal corporate trade secrets.

In a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco onTuesday, Craigslist challenged allegations in an eBay suit filed inDelaware state court in April that accused Craigslist of discriminatingagainst eBay as a shareholder.

Craigslist’s complaint alleges a plan by eBay to use its position asa minority shareholder in Craigslist and its position on the Craigslistboard to gather competitive information that led to the launch ofeBay’s rival classifieds business. The suit claims eBay code-namedKijiji its "Craigslist killer" in internal strategy discussions.

"In the months leading up to the launch of its competing Kijiji site… eBay used its shareholder status to plant on Craigslist’s board ofdirectors the individual responsible for launching and/or operatingKijiji," the latest suit alleges.

(Reporting by Eric Auchard; Editing by Gary Hill)