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US: Cable TV Subscribers win landmark antitrust verdict

By  |  January 29, 2015

A jury decides to punish Cox Communications for tying premium cable services with the rental of expensive boxes.

With cable boxes currently costing the average household $231 a year, Cox Communication subscribers in middle America won an antitrust lawsuit with a $6.31 million jury verdict on Thursday. The damage award could be trebled as more antitrust lawsuits await.

The plaintiffs in this case alleged that Cox improperly tied and bundled the lease of cable boxes to the ability to obtain premium cable services. A national class action wasn’t certified because of differences in geographic markets, but consolidated actions have been proceeding in various regions of the country.

A federal court in Oklahoma was the site of the first case to make it to trial after attempts to send the dispute to arbitration failed.

Full content: The Hollywood Reporter

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