Amazon Wins Dismissal Of Consumer Antitrust Suit

In the Seattle federal court, Amazon won a private consumer antitrust lawsuit. The lawsuit claimed that Amazon was artificially increasing the prices of goods sold by other retailers through questionable pricing practices. 

The plaintiffs requested an injunction to stop Amazon from continuing these practices. However, earlier this year, Amazon’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit was unsuccessful due to a lack of merit.

Amazon is facing multiple legal actions, both private and state, for allegedly violating competitive laws. The company maintains that it has not broken any laws or standard business practices. Amazon has stated that the antitrust lawsuit has several legal flaws, and it appears that the Seattle court agrees with them.

Read more: DC AG Seeks To Revive Amazon Antitrust Suit

In March, U.S. District Judge Richard Jones made a ruling to move forward with an antitrust class action case. The plaintiffs are seeking damages between $55 to $172 billion, alleging that retailers who wished to sell their products on Amazon were unable to offer the same products for a lower price elsewhere.

The lawsuit claims that Amazon included third-party product sales in their Fulfillment by Amazon program and as a result, caused financial harm to a large number of their customers.

US District Judge Ricardo Martinez ruled in favor of Amazon on Thursday, stating that the plaintiffs did not provide enough evidence to support a lawsuit centered around a logistics issue. His order does provide the plaintiffs with the option to file an amendment to their original complaint, though no word yet on when or if that will occur.