The ECJ ruled that Airbnb can be considered "an 'information society service', distinct from the subsequent service to which it relates." The French hotel industry lobby had brought the case arguing that Airbnb operates as a property rental firm and should be regulated as such under French law. The hoteliers' association AHTOP had launched a case against Airbnb's EU-based subsidiary Airbnb IrelandFrench lawyers argued that Airbnb does not merely connect two parties - a landlord and a rental client - but acts as a kind of unlicensed property agent. But the court found that Airbnb meets its criteria as an intermediary and that France ought to have lodged its concerns before the EU e-commerce law was enacted. The court also found that Airbnb is not indispensable to the industry, since both landlords and renters can use various other ways to find each other.

Source: The Local December 19, 2019 15:00 UTC