Amazon, Uber and Lyft sue seller over rogue rideshare signs

Amazon is joining forces with Uber and Lyft in a lawsuit targeting the alleged sale of counterfeit window signs bearing the logos of the rideshare rivals. It's the latest in a series of efforts by Amazon to crack down on counterfeit products. 

• The lawsuit against Gary Hutton of Torrance, Calif., cites safety concerns from the potential sale of the signs to people with ill intent, posing as Lyft or Uber drivers.

• Addressing those concerns, Hutton told GeekWire that his customers are rideshare and delivery drivers who say the light-up signs improve their own safety at night.

• "I'm just one person, a very small business,” Hutton said. “It’s not like I’ve gotten rich off it. It’s just been a big headache.” Read more.

OwnTrail, a life-and-career social platform launched in Seattle in 2020, has been acquired by Miami-based search-and-apply platform Teal. OwnTrail founder and CEO Rebekah Bastian will stay on as an advisor. Read more.

Zillow is tapping into AI to boost its virtual home tours. Interactive floor plans that link to photography are one of the highlights of the new “Listing Showcase” experience from the Seattle real estate technology company. Read more.

Tech Moves: Open-source software company Expanso names CEO; Highspot adds new exec; board changes at Fred Hutch; and more personnel changes.

Seattle trucking marketplace Convoy made more layoffs as it shrinks its customer-experience operations team, citing recent efficiency gains and a delayed rebound in the overall freight market. Read more.

Hot links:

• “Now they don’t have to wait for Mr. Rodriguez. They can ask Khanmigo.” A pilot of Khan Academy’s AI assistant in Newark, N.J., uncovers benefits for students and teachers, plus concerns about cost and the potential for the AI to do too much of the work. (The New York Times)

• “We are in a very unique position to be able to go spend Sony out of business,” a Microsoft executive wrote in an internal email disclosed in the ongoing FTC trial, discussing efforts to build its Xbox Game Pass library. (The Verge)