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2020 Op. Ind. Att'y Gen. 1 (2020)

handle is hein.sag/sagin0139 and id is 1 raw text is: 






OFFICE of THE. VT(riNm GENE111 i.
    I NIIVPOIIS, IVIIA 4 6204'


CURTIS T. HILL, JR.
A TORNELY GENERAXL


January 7, 2020


OFFICIAL OPINION 2020-1


Mr. Mark  Straw, Executive Administrator
Indiana State Egg Board
Purdue University, Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences
270 S. Russell Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2041

       RE: Regulation of Online Merchant Service Provider

Dear Mr. Straw:

       Pursuant to Ind. Code § 4-6-2-5, the Indiana State Egg Board (hereafter, the Board)
requested the opinion of the Office of Attorney General (OAG) as to whether an entity engaged
in the facilitation of the sale of eggs through online means is subject to regulation by the Board
as a retailer under applicable State law, specifically Ind. Code § 16-42-11 et seq. and Title 370 of
the Indiana Administrative Code.

                                QUESTION PRESENTED

       Does the Board have the authority to regulate an online merchant service provider that
facilitates the sale of eggs?

                                     BRIEF   ANSWER

       No. The merchant  service provider (hereafter, Provider) does not acquire or transfer
title to eggs and, therefore, does not meet the definition of a retailer under Ind. Code § 16-42-11-
1.1(6) and 370 IAC 1-12-1(4). The Board's statutory and regulatory provisions were not
designed to address e-commerce' situations such as the one presented here.





1 E-commerce refers to the practice of buying and selling goods and services through online consumer services
and of conducting other business activities using an electronic device and the Internet. Black's Law Dictionary at
625 (10' ed. 2014).


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