FTC’s Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon Divides, Parts Allowed to Proceed
Judge Chun partly granted Amazon’s dismissal motion and partly denied it, granting the FTC’s request to divide the lawsuit into liability and remedy phases.
Amazon challenged the FTC’s entire case, but Chun’s decision to allow parts of it to proceed signals a partial victory for them.
The lawsuit alleges Amazon’s monopoly has led to anticompetitive practices that stifle rivals, sellers, and consumers. One key dispute revolves around Project Nessie, which the FTC claims was price-raising, while Amazon maintains it was only meant to prevent unsustainable price fluctuations.
The order detailing the judge’s reasoning remains sealed pending review by both parties. Amazon and the FTC have until October 14th to submit a joint statement outlining potential redactions.
Amazon has denied the FTC’s allegations, while the commission has declined to comment.
The unsealing of the order will reveal whether the FTC has provided enough evidence to support its interpretation of Nessie and for that part of the case to advance to the liability phase.
