Livin' la vida lawsuit?

By Jack November 19, 1999 2:19 AM

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Jonesing for a sneak peak of CBS' upcoming Ricky Martin special? The address is eBay.com.?But probably not for long.?Eye execs recently discovered at least two sellers on eBay, a popular online auction site, trying to unload video copies of "Ricky Martin: One Night Only" meant for press viewing.?Those sellers, however, may soon be "livin? la vida lawsuit".?According to CBS, it owns those tapes, which are loaned to TV reviewers (who in practice rarely return them).?The tape sales first came to the attention of CBS when an unidentified seller in Seattle, who goes under the screen name poppstarz, put a copy of the Ricky Martin screener on eBay on Nov.11.?Acting on behalf of CBS, an employee started bidding on the tape in order to uncover the seller?s identity.?When the auction closed Tuesday, the CBS employee won the auction with the high bid of $305.?Poppstarz may soon find himself or herself in a deep pile of menudo.?CBS knows the identity of the culprit, but was awaiting shipment of the tape before determining whether to take legal action.?Meanwhile, another seller, this one based in New Jersey and using the screen name blackadder!, also has put a copy of the CBS special up for bid.?The net has yet to make a bid on blackadder!?s tape.?Now that we have thoroughly warned these two eBay users we have only to see whether or not CBS can and will take legal action against them.

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