Axel Springer, publisher of Bild, is reinvesting German newspaper profits in online classified-ad services.

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But, clearly, Ebay has mixed feelings about transforming itself from a classified-ad host into a multimedia brand.

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Consider what Google and Craigslist have done to strip newspapers like the L.A. Times of their readers and classified-ad revenue base.

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EBay launched its own classified-ad service, Kijiji, in the U.S. in 2007.

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The bills "supposedly address real needs, but in practice are means by which bad actors (with lots of money and lawyers) can take sites down, " Craig Newmark, founder of the online classified-ad site Craigslist, wrote in a blog post Monday.

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Businesses that once generated profit and jobs--heavy manufacturers, hub-and-spoke airlines, travel agencies, newspapers dependent on classified ad sales--can suddenly tumble.

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