ONLINE auction site eBay Inc has said it will institute a global ban on the sale of all ivory products from next year.

The ban, announced on the company's blog eBay Ink, was intended to ensure the protection of African and Asian elephants, eBay blogger Richard Brewer-Hay wrote.
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He said he had recently been at a meeting to discuss the sale of these products when the ban was decided. The company banned cross-border sales of ivory products last year, he said, but the sale of it on the site "continued to be a concern within the company and among stakeholders."

"The team concluded that we simply can't ensure that ivory listed for sale on eBay is in compliance with the complex regulations that govern its sale," he wrote.

The policy change will go into effect in December and will be enforced starting in January.

Exceptions for some items with small amounts of ivory, such as pianos, will be made, though the items must have been made before 1900.

Items that have a large amount of ivory, regardless of their age, will not be permitted for sale. These would include chess sets and jewelry.

The company said it works with international and domestic law-enforcement authorities like the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and will help them in investigations they initiate.

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International applauded the decision and said they first brought the issue to eBay after a probe in 2002 discovered thousands of ivory items.

"EBay's decision to wash its hands of the uncontrollable, bloody ivory trade is commendable and should set an example for others," said Teresa Telecky of Humane Society International.