DOJ Goes After Anti-Competitive E-Commerce

By John Eggerton
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

Attention Internet service and content providers: The Justice Department has leveled its first charge related to electronic-commerce price fixing.

And the DOJ said that both it and the Federal Bureau of Investigations are committed to pursuing anti-competitive conduct online, including algorithms that serve anti-competitive conduct.

The DOJ said a marketer of posters, prints and other objects sold on the Amazon Marketplace has agreed to pay a $20,000 criminal fine, subject to court approval of the plea deal, which includes helping the department with its investigation of co-conspirators in the price-fixing scheme.

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John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.