Ebay was still a young online auction company founded on the principle that “people are basically good.” “This was a Stephen King nightmare, a horrible nightmare,” Ina says. Meanwhile, the Steiners’ $55.7m civil settlement – in which eBay admitted fault and apologized but disclaimed legal liability – brought a nearly two-year legal battle to a close. “The New York Times did this interview with [one of the female eBay employees] and it was very sympathetic to her,” Ina says. Photograph: Big Pond FilmsThe biggest victory in the Steiners’ civil settlement might be the absence of an NDA.