Amazon.com previews FTC protection at companywide assembly
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Reuters API
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Nov 8, 2023
Amazon.com’s high lawyer on Tuesday previewed the broad outlines of the corporate’s doable protection in opposition to the U.S. Federal Commerce Fee’s antitrust lawsuit in opposition to the retailer, at a personal companywide assembly.
Reuters
Within the two-hour assembly, legal professional David Zapolsky expressed confidence in Amazon’s potential to fend off the blockbuster lawsuit, calling the corporate’s techniques “completely defensible conduct,” based on a transcript of the assembly seen by Reuters.
Alongside the way in which, he quoted Taylor Swift lyrics as he sought to assuage staff’ issues.
“The meme of the day, as a really scrutinized firm, is to undertake the tao of Taylor Swift: ‘haters gonna hate’ and you must ‘shake it off,” Zapolsky mentioned, based on the transcript. He was joined by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and different executives.
The U.S. Federal Commerce Fee filed the long-awaited antitrust lawsuit in opposition to Amazon on Sept. 26 and requested the courtroom to contemplate forcing the web retailer to promote belongings as the federal government accuses Massive Tech of monopolizing probably the most profitable components of the web.
It accused the e-retailer of working an unlawful monopoly, partly by combating efforts by sellers on its on-line market to supply merchandise extra cheaply on different platforms. The lawsuit, which was joined by 17 state attorneys normal, was filed in federal courtroom in Seattle and follows a four-year investigation into the corporate’s practices.
The company requested the courtroom to concern a everlasting injunction ordering Amazon to cease what it known as illegal conduct. In antitrust circumstances the vary of options might embrace forcing an organization to promote an asset, corresponding to part of its enterprise.
The FTC takes “concern with us refusing to point out costs which are increased than our largest opponents,” Zapolsky mentioned on Tuesday, based on the transcript. “It’s not that we don’t let clients promote at these costs, we simply don’t function that product at that worth.”
“We predict that is completely defensible conduct as a result of to function it might be to lose buyer belief by promoting one thing that’s not an excellent deal for them,” he mentioned.
Amazon has mentioned it disagrees with the FTC and would defend itself in courtroom. A spokesman, Ty Rogers, declined extra touch upon Tuesday, referring to a earlier Amazon weblog publish contesting the allegations.
“The entire criticism is predicated on a really constrained and manufactured view that Amazon is a monopoly,” mentioned Zapolsky. “That is at odds with not solely how our opponents consider {the marketplace}, but in addition our personal lived expertise of how we store.”
Zapolsky additionally addressed the FTC’s allegations that it forces sellers to make use of its warehouses and supply providers, saying that these decisions are non-obligatory. “That includes decrease costs and providing clients quicker supply is completely according to antitrust legal guidelines,” he mentioned.
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