Antitrust Law
Ongoing coverage on Antitrust Law.
Latest coverage
Teamsters urge DOJ to block Paramount's Warner Bros. merger
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is urging the US Department of Justice to block the proposed merger between Paramount Global, Skydance Media, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The union cites concerns that the consolidation will lead to job losses and harm domestic production and labor standards. They are requesting enforceable commitments from Paramount and Skydance to protect workers and production before the deal can proceed.
PlayStation users in the UK could be collectively awarded billions in compensation for 'excessive and unfair' PlayStation Store charges in class-action lawsuit against Sony
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Sony in the UK, accusing the company of unfair charges on the PlayStation Store. Consumer campaigner Alex Neill alleges Sony exploited UK customers by overcharging for digital games and add-on content, potentially amounting to £2 billion in compensation for 12.2 million users. Sony denies the claims, citing security and privacy risks with third-party stores.
Morning Legal Briefs
Sony is facing a legal challenge in a Playstation court case alleging the company charged users unfair fees. Separately, the Trump administration has not ruled out further action against AI company Anthropic.
Live Nation settlement avoids breakup with Ticketmaster
Live Nation has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in its antitrust case, agreeing to pay $200 million to states and implement changes to its business practices, including creating a standalone ticketing system for third-party competitors. The company will also divest up to 13 amphitheaters and avoid retaliation against venues that choose other ticket sellers over Ticketmaster, thus avoiding a breakup with Ticketmaster.
Google reportedly muzzles Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney until 2032
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is reportedly bound by settlement terms with Google to speak positively about the company's app store operations until September 30, 2032. While Epic and Sweeney have been vocal critics of Google's practices, the recent settlement in their antitrust lawsuit includes a non-disparagement clause specifically related to app store distribution and fees. Following the settlement, Epic Games is bringing Fortnite back to the Google Play Store.
Evening Legal Briefs
Google and Epic Games have reached a settlement to end their app store antitrust lawsuit. Separately, a lawsuit alleges that Google Gemini sent a man on violent missions and set a suicide countdown.
"It needs to cooperate fairly, and it's clearly not." Why Valve is facing a £656m day in the UK courts
A UK court has allowed a class-action lawsuit against Valve to proceed, alleging the company violates competition law through its 30% revenue share on Steam and price parity requirements. Digital safety campaigner Vicki Shotbolt is leading the case, seeking up to £656 million in damages for UK consumers. The lawsuit argues that Valve's practices harm consumers by inflating game prices and limiting developer pricing flexibility.
