In a lawsuit about sandwiches, the legal implications are anything but soft, and the stakes are high. The J.M. Smucker Company filed a federal lawsuit against Trader Joe’s, alleging that the grocery chain’s crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches infringe on...
Online reviews can make or break a business. A stream of positive comments can boost visibility, attract new customers, and build trust. On the other hand, a single harsh or fake review can tarnish a company’s reputation overnight. In today’s digital age, where...
MAP Policies Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) Policies are unilateral policies set by manufacturers that dictate the advertised price for products, but not the actual resale price. These policies promote healthy competition among resellers, protect brand value, maintain...
In a significant strategic move, Best Buy has officially launched a new third-party online marketplace, integrating it into BestBuy.com and in the Best Buy App. This launch more than doubles the retailer’s online product assortment, introducing hundreds of new brands...
In today’s ecommerce-driven economy, brand owners face a relentless challenge: unauthorized resellers who flood online marketplaces with products that undermine brand value, confuse consumers and compromise quality standards. These resellers may operate in gray areas...
Costco Wholesale, known for its sales model which provides a wide array of products at significant discounts to its members, is facing allegations from Lululemon and L.A.B. Golf regarding unauthorized sales and product imitations. Lululemon, a premium athletic apparel...
After decades of dormancy, the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), returned to the forefront of antitrust enforcement in early 2025—only to stumble swiftly. The RPA is an antitrust law that, at its core, prevents price discrimination among buyers that could harm competition....
Walmart recently updated its shipping and fulfillment policies to permit its third-party merchants to use Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment (“MCF”) when fulfilling orders placed through Walmart’s marketplace. With this critical change, Walmart is enabling sellers to...
The ever-growing ecommerce market continues to present new opportunities for brands. But with those new opportunities comes additional challenges in preventing the unauthorized resale of products online. In the past, unauthorized resellers relied heavily on ecommerce...
On March 20, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court’s order to dismiss a consumer antitrust lawsuit filed against Amazon. In the lawsuit styled Hogan v. Amazon.com, Inc., the consumer-plaintiffs alleged that Amazon forced third-party...