Troubled on-line auction house e-Bay is keeping its e-fingers crossed in the hope that the Microsoft legal heavies don't come e-banging on its e-door. A report in today's Financial Times claims that the great Stan of software is well and truly peeved that e-punters have been flogging knocked-off MS software via eBay. The report says that Stan is even considering unleashing its legal department on eBay if the situation does not improve soon. More than 6,000 copies of Stan's Office application were being e-offered in 140 separate instances for as little as $19.99. A bona fide copy of the e-software e-retails at $599. e-Bay gum, that’s some discount. While e-Bay takes the issue of punting counterfeit software very seriously and works with companies such as the Great Stan to reduce the risks, it is unable to e-monitor every item that passes through it e-auction e-house, an e-spokesman said. Earlier this month e-Bay said it would no longer sanction the sale of guns or ammunition via its online auction service. And a man who used e-Bay to sell computer equipment was convicted of fraud for not delivering the goods despite pocketing the cash. ®