Comcast Cable
Practice Area: Antitrust
Behrend et al. v. Comcast Corp., et al. is a class action lawsuit pending in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case was brought on behalf of classes of plaintiffs in Philadelphia and Chicago who are subscribers of non-basic cable services. It alleges that the Comcast defendants overcharged the class members for the provision of those services. Specifically, plaintiffs claim that the defendants horizontally allocated the market via a series of "swap" agreements with competitors and engaged in multiple unlawful acquisitions of competitors in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. By engaging in this illegal conduct, Comcast was able to obtain a monopoly for cable services in Philadelphia and Chicago and as a result, the members of the classes paid higher prices for their cable services.
The complaint alleges that Comcast's illegal conduct began as early as December 1, 1999 and continues to the present. Plaintiffs seek both monetary damages to compensate them for injuries resulting from Comcasts illegal conduct and injunctive relief.