EchoStar Communications Corp. confirmed that it has amended its antitrust
lawsuit against DirecTV Inc. to include several top consumer-electronics
retailers.
Early last year, EchoStar filed suit against DirecTV Inc. and its top
hardware licensees, claiming that the direct-broadcast rival was using its
market power to keep EchoStar's Dish Network systems out of top retail
chains.
Earlier this month, EchoStar added Best Buy Co. Inc., Circuit City Stores
Inc. and RadioShack Corp. to the complaint.
The amended suit argued that the consumer-electronics retailers not only
accepted DirecTV's threats and inducements to make DirecTV their exclusive DBS
offerings, but also agreed mutually among themselves not to sell another DBS
product.
EchoStar also claimed that the national retailers named in the suit agreed to
tell DirecTV which of their competitors carried Dish equipment 'so that DirecTV
may terminate their contracts and otherwise penalize them.'
Attorney David Boies of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP represents EchoStar
in the lawsuit.
EchoStar spokesman Marc Lumpkin said the suit was still in the discovery
stage. He added that the company would offer no additional comment on the
suit.
Spokespersons for Best Buy, Circuit City and RadioShack said their companies
do not comment on pending litigation.
