Judge likely to deny California's bid to stop Amazon's alleged price fixing

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SynopsisBonta sued Amazon in 2022, ​accusing the company of dominating online retail with anticompetitive tactics that ​raise prices for consumers.

AgenciesA California judge on Thursday said he was likely to deny a bid to block Amazon from allegedly fixing prices by pressuring rivals to raise prices, in a setback for California Attorney General ‌Rob Bonta's ⁠case ⁠against the online retailer.

* Bonta sued Amazon in 2022, ​accusing the company of dominating online retail with anticompetitive tactics that ​raise prices for consumers.

* In April, Bonta said his office had uncovered evidence of Amazon getting ​brands including Levi Strauss, Allergan and ⁠Hanes to ‌prod online rivals such as ​Walmart ​and Target to raise prices for consumers ⁠so it would not be undercut. Bonta asked ​the judge to block Amazon from ​illegally fixing prices.

* Judge Ethan Schulman in San Francisco Superior Court said at a hearing on Thursday that he had tentatively ruled to deny the request, though a final decision ‌will not come until after the hearing.

* Schulman expressed skepticism towards the request, ​saying the state ​had relied ⁠on evidence from 2023.

* A Bonta spokesperson called the ruling disappointing but said his office looks forward to ​trial. "We continue to believe that Amazon's ongoing price fixing behavior is harming California consumers," the spokesperson said.

Read more news onCalifornia judge Amazon price fixingRob Bonta lawsuit against AmazonAmazon anticompetitive tacticsprice fixing allegationsCalifornia Attorney General

(Catch all the Technology News News, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)

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