# Top court: Uber should be regulated like a taxi company



## ginseng41 (Nov 30, 2014)

http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/20/technology/uber-taxi-company-europe/index.html

Europe's top court has ruled that Uber should be regulated as a transportation company -- and not a tech firm.

The decision by the European Court of Justice is a major setback for Uber, which had said that it should not be subjected to the same regulations as traditional taxi companies.

Uber argued that it should instead be treated as technology platform that connects drivers and riders.

The startup said in a statement that the ruling would "not change things in most EU countries where we already operate under transportation law."

The decision could have major implications for companies that operate in Europe's gig economy, which have typically faced lighter regulation than their traditional rivals.

The Uber case was brought by an organization representing professional taxi drivers in Spain. They argued that the startup had an unfair advantage because some of its drivers don't have the taxi licenses required by the city of Barcelona.

A Spanish court referred the case to the European Court of Justice.


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## BurgerTiime (Jun 22, 2015)

This changes the whole ball game


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## ginseng41 (Nov 30, 2014)

Remember, it's just for the EU. Doubtful this will have any relevance to our courts


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## Brooklyn (Jul 29, 2014)

ginseng41 said:


> Remember, it's just for the EU. Doubtful this will have any relevance to our courts


It won't have relevance not because the law says so.. but because of Uber paying everyone off. Might be tougher though now after that letter stating Uber has been bribing officials.

Uber and their drivers in the EU shouldnt be too upset though.. they had a what? 7 year run avoiding any regulations.


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## ginseng41 (Nov 30, 2014)

Actually, most of my friends in Europe tell me they no longer have Uber pop. I also used it in the Baltic states and found it to be pricier than expected


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Just another nail in the coffin.
Should kill UberPop for good (Europe's version of UberX).

Also expect this to blow another 10 to 15 billion off their unicorn valuation.


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## JimS (Aug 18, 2015)

Smart of Lyft to start only in the US. They will see profitability sooner than Uber. Meanwhile, Uber will continue to hemorrhage cash at the expense of their drivers and to a lesser extent, their investors.


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## rembrandt (Jul 3, 2016)

This may not have a direct impact to how US judiciary sees Uber but judges will certainly take note from their European peers.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

rembrandt said:


> This may not have a direct impact to how US judiciary sees Uber but judges will certainly take note from their European peers.


This will be noted by SCOTUS.


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## rembrandt (Jul 3, 2016)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> This will be noted by SCOTUS.


Due to the very cunning nature of Uber , no case involving Uber ever reached the SCOTUS. Greedy lawyers always pick settlements over formal judgements at the lower courts. Waymo vs Uber case may be heading towards a settlement too.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

rembrandt said:


> Due to the very cunning nature of Uber , no case involving Uber ever reached the SCOTUS. Greedy lawyers always pick settlements over formal judgements at the lower courts. Waymo vs Uber case may be heading towards a settlement too.


You have any idea how much Waymo will seek now that new evidence has surfaced?
Uber can't afford Waymos terms. Trust me.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

TwoFiddyMile said:


> You have any idea how much Waymo will seek now that new evidence has surfaced?
> Uber can't afford Waymos terms. Trust me.


It may very come to Google getting Uber stock that is currently being held by executives (cause that's the only thing remotely close to the damage they caused they can give google)

IF TK is found to be responsible for billions in damage to google... it could happen.

Maybe if google was the Majority owner things could change.

Maybe...

Maybe not.


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## Brooklyn (Jul 29, 2014)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> It may very come to Google getting Uber stock that is currently being held by executives (cause that's the only thing remotely close to the damage they caused they can give google)
> 
> IF TK is found to be responsible for billions in damage to google... it could happen.
> 
> ...


1. Didn't Google design a ridesharing app that charges WAY less than Uber and basically pays the driver for gas?
2. I don't see Google caring to be the majority shareholder because they have money invested in Lyft and they actually have led an investment team to raise more money for Lyft.. at that point they'd be fighting themselves... and if that indeed is their plan I'd be more scared of them than I would be of Uber ever if they're going to be the biggest shareholders of Uber, and a major shareholder in Lyft, all while developing Waymo.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

Brooklyn said:


> 1. Didn't Google design a ridesharing app that charges WAY less than Uber and basically pays the driver for gas?
> 2. I don't see Google caring to be the majority shareholder because they have money invested in Lyft and they actually have led an investment team to raise more money for Lyft.. at that point they'd be fighting themselves... and if that indeed is their plan I'd be more scared of them than I would be of Uber ever if they're going to be the biggest shareholders of Uber, and a major shareholder in Lyft, all while developing Waymo.


Uber owes loses a court case with you for 10-15 Billion (that's with a B) and offer you 50% stake in uber, or you will never see anything CLOSE to 5 billion. Which option do you take?


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## Brooklyn (Jul 29, 2014)

Mears Troll Number 4 said:


> Uber owes loses a court case with you for 10-15 Billion (that's with a B) and offer you 50% stake in uber, or you will never see anything CLOSE to 5 billion. Which option do you take?


Good point.. but they can also just take that $5 billion... cripple/kill Uber.. dump a portion of that money into Lyft which still has a much smaller valuation but their valuation would skyrocket with Uber gone and you'd be a majority player in Lyft all while killing your biggest competition which you possibly could cash out of possibly now with a sale to Softbank.


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## TwoFiddyMile (Mar 13, 2015)

Brooklyn said:


> Good point.. but they can also just take that $5 billion... cripple/kill Uber.. dump a portion of that money into Lyft which still has a much smaller valuation but their valuation would skyrocket with Uber gone and you'd be a majority player in Lyft all while killing your biggest competition which you possibly could cash out of possibly now with a sale to Softbank.


This is the actual goal, pocket some cash and cripple kill Uber.
Knock out the biggest competition.


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## rembrandt (Jul 3, 2016)

What Uber is to the transportation business, so is Google / Facebook to the media business ( ad , youtube etc) . Uber dodges the regulations by pretending to be a tech company and so does Google/Facebook .

Make no mistake, the very same EU ruling will come down hard on deceptive companies like Google , Facebook , AirBnB , Amazon etc who classify themselves as tech companies which they are not , in near future. These companies are far different than actual tech companies like Microsoft, HP, Apple etc.


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## Uberyouber (Jan 16, 2017)

By the time this reaches the US courts Uber will be bankrupt...


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## UberLaLa (Sep 6, 2015)

Uber could have kept playing the 'We are a Technology Company' angle, but they got greedy and started charging passengers like a Transportation Company. Then paying drivers as if they were minimum wage employees.

Drivers speaking up is what continues to bring Uber to it's knees.


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## Brooklyn (Jul 29, 2014)

UberLaLa said:


> Uber could have kept playing the 'We are a Technology Company' angle, but they got greedy and started charging passengers like a Transportation Company. Then paying drivers as if they were minimum wage employees.
> 
> Drivers speaking up is what continues to bring Uber to it's knees.


What do you mean by "charging passengers like a transportation company"?

I don't think there ever was going to be a way around any of this and I think they knew down the road they were going to be regulated.. I think their plan was to go so rogue and break so many rules and lower the bar so much for the time being that their name became big that way.

Driving for an app company you need to go and get a taxi license? not appealing
Driving for an app company where all you need is to download the driver app and get on the road? much easier....

with that tactic they got enough drivers on the road that so many passengers downloaded it and now if they get regulated it's after their name already got big.


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## freeFromUber (Mar 1, 2016)

ginseng41 said:


> http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/20/technology/uber-taxi-company-europe/index.html
> 
> Europe's top court has ruled that Uber should be regulated as a transportation company -- and not a tech firm.
> 
> ...


It should be regulated like a taxi company because it IS A TAXI COMPANY.


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## Mars Troll Number 4 (Oct 30, 2015)

freeFromUber said:


> It should be regulated like a taxi company because it IS A TAXI COMPANY.


It's more like a phone in only black car service.. except crappier.

I'm cool if they are regulated just like every other black car service.


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## mach7 (Oct 30, 2017)

This doesn't change a thing. The EU is collapsing anyway. CNN is fake news. Why even bother citing them?


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## 2Cents (Jul 18, 2016)

freeFromUber said:


> It should be regulated like a taxi company because it IS A TAXI COMPANY.


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## Woohaa (Jan 15, 2017)

BurgerTiime said:


> This changes the whole ball game


Something about this gif is very special. Either that or all those Tequila shots I had earlier are just starting to kick in.


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