An appeals court has reopened the District of Columbia’s antitrust case against Amazon, which the district claims illegally raised prices on rival platforms. In a ruling on Thursday, the Washington, D.C., appeals court ruled that the district’s allegations “appear to indicate” that Amazon has or is close to achieving monopoly power in the online market.
Former Washington Attorney General Karl Racine filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon in 2021, but it was dismissed in court in 2022. stores) to engage in anti-competitive conduct.
Although Amazon in 2019 reversed its policy requiring sellers to offer products at the lowest prices on its online marketplace, the lawsuit claims that Amazon’s fair pricing policy amounts to “virtually identical substitutes.”
Amazon, not surprisingly, Disagree with the court’s decision to remand the case. “Like any store owner who doesn’t want to sell customers a bad deal, we won’t highlight or promote offers that are not competitively priced,” Amazon spokesman Tim Doyle said in a statement. edge. “This is part of our commitment to earn and maintain the trust of our customers at low prices, and we believe this is the right decision for consumers and sellers in the long run.”
Amazon also faces antitrust scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission, which filed a massive lawsuit against the company, alleging its monopoly power stifles competition and harms consumers.
