DC’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon is back.

The appeals court has revived Washington, D.C.’s antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, which alleges the company illegally drives up prices on competing platforms. Decision on ThursdayThe D.C. Appellate Court ruled that the district’s arguments “reasonably suggest” that Amazon already has a monopoly over the online marketplace or is seeking to achieve one.

Former D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon in 2021, but the case was dismissed by the court in 2022. The lawsuit claims that Amazon engages in anticompetitive practices by restricting third-party sellers from offering their products on other online stores (including its own website) at prices lower than what Amazon charges them. This effectively controls the prices of goods outside of its own platform.

Amazon reversed its policy in 2019 requiring sellers on its online marketplace to offer products at the lowest possible price, but the lawsuit alleges that Amazon Fair pricing policy It is a “virtually identical substitute.”

Amazon, as expected We disagree with the court’s decision to re-open the case. “Like any store owner who doesn’t want to promote a bad deal to their customers, we don’t highlight or promote offers that aren’t competitively priced,” Amazon spokesman Tim Doyle said in a statement. The Verge. “We believe that providing low prices is part of our effort to gain and maintain customer trust, and in the long run, we believe it is the right decision for both consumers and sellers.”

Amazon is also under antitrust investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, which has filed a major lawsuit against Amazon alleging that its monopoly power stifles competition and harms consumers.