You know that kid who’s always getting sent to the principal’s office? At some point, you have to ask: is it the school… or is it just the kid? Well, if Amazon were a student, it would likely have a permanent seat in detention. From accusations of price-fixing to privacy invasions, this tech giant has faced multiple lawsuits coming it’s way and dish a few out itself.
Amazon’s Greatest Hits (of Litigation)
1997: Barnes & Noble Lawsuit – The “Biggest Bookstore” Battle
- May 12, 1997: Barnes & Noble sued Amazon, basically calling it out for false advertising. Amazon had claimed to be “the world’s largest bookstore,” and Barnes & Noble wasn’t having it. The case settled out of court, allowing Amazon got to keep it’s bragging rights, just with a little less enthusiasm.
1998: Walmart Lawsuit – The “You Stole My Employees!” Scandal
- October 16, 1998: Walmart threw a fit and sued Amazon for allegedly swiping its former executives and using their trade secrets. The case was settled, and Amazon agreed to reshuffle some employees.
2004: Soverain Software Patent Lawsuit – The Shopping Cart Caper
- January 12, 2004: Amazon found itself in hot water for allegedly infringing on Soverain Software’s online shopping cart patent. Instead of dragging it out, Amazon settled for $40 million. That’s an expensive cart full of groceries!
2010: Macmillan E-book Pricing Dispute – The “Who Gets to Overcharge Readers?” Fight
- January 2010: Amazon pulled Macmillan books from its site during a dramatic standoff over e-book pricing. Eventually, they made up, but not before proving that book pricing drama is way more intense than anyone expected.
2014: Hachette Book Group Dispute – The “Amazon vs. Authors” Smackdown
- 2014: Amazon and Hachette had a public spat about book prices. Amazon played hardball by delaying shipments and removing discounts, making it clear that even authors weren’t immune to its battlefield-style business tactics.
2020: Antitrust Investigations – The “Are We a Monopoly? Who, Us?” Episode
- July 2020: The U.S. House Antitrust Subcommittee put Amazon under the microscope to figure out whether it was crushing the competition like a boot on an ant. The investigation is ongoing, however one cannot help but wonder; if it looks like a monopoly and acts like a monopoly…
2021: E-book Price-Fixing Lawsuit – The “Déjà Vu” Case
- January 2021: Amazon allegedly conspired with publishers to keep e-book prices artificially high. This is what happens when you don’t learn from your previous fights with publishers. However, it’s worth noting that this round went to Amazon.
2023: Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Antitrust Lawsuit – The “You Again?” Special
- September 26, 2023: The FTC and 17 states decided Amazon was getting too big for its britches and filed a lawsuit, accusing it of maintaining an illegal monopoly. The trial is scheduled for October 2026—plenty of time for Amazon to “restructure” a few things.
2025: Quebec Warehouse Closures – The “Labor Dispute of the North” (Mon Dieu!)
- January 22, 2025: Amazon announced it was closing seven warehouses in Quebec, leaving 1,700 employees without jobs. The official reason? “Business strategy.” The suspected real reason by many of it’s former staff members? Unions.
- February 4, 2025: The affected workers’ union, CSN, filed a lawsuit, calling Amazon out for its suspiciously timed closures.
- February 6, 2025: A Montreal resident took things to another level by suing Amazon for breaching its Prime delivery promise, because when all else fails, Canadians will fight for their right to two-day shipping.
2025: Consumer Location Data Tracking Lawsuit – The “We See You” Saga
- January 29, 2025: A very serious class-action lawsuit was filed in California, accusing Amazon of tracking users through third-party apps without consent. Just when you wondered if Google was the only one watching you…
Where There’s Smoke…
No one can deny Amazon’s massive impact on society since its inception, and there are certainly some notable contributions. However, when it comes to the “bad stuff,” if Amazon were a person, it would likely be that student who claims they’re always unfairly targeted—despite a history that suggests otherwise. With more legal drama than a courtroom TV show, one thing is clear: as long as Amazon keeps pushing boundaries, lawsuits will continue to follow. Whether it’s labor rights, monopolistic practices, or privacy concerns, the question isn’t if Amazon will face legal action again—it’s when and for what this time. Stay tuned!
An avid book reader and proud library card holder, Angela is new to the world of e-Readers. She has a background in education, emergency response, fitness, loves to be in nature, traveling and exploring. With an honours science degree in anthropology, Angela also studied writing after graduation. She has contributed work to The London Free Press, The Gazette, The Londoner, Best Version Media, Lifeliner, and Citymedia.ca.