US: 1800Contacts freed from antitrust suit

Online contact lens seller 1800Contacts has been cleared of antitrust charges after top rival Lens.com sued the company for bringing trademark infringement lawsuits against advertisers, say reports.

US District Court Judge David Sam dismissed the law suit that claimed 1800Contacts’ lawsuits amounted to “sham litigation,” according to Lens.com. 1800Contacts sued at least 15 purchasers of the site’s pay-per-click advertisements of trademark infringement for buying the term “1800Contacts” to spark ad appearances through search engines. Lens.com was one of the companies sued by the competitor in the cases.

In its counter attack, Lens.com argued that 1800Contacts “conspired to ensure that consumers never taste the fruits of competition.” District Court Judge Clark Waddoups originally sided with Lens.com and tossed 1800Contacts’ cases on grounds that the company prevented rivals’ ads from appearing in search results leading to “anticompetitive, monopolistic protection, to which it is not entitled,” the judge wrote. 1800Contacts successfully appealed the ruling, however.

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