Match conduct to prior cases

In June 2026 Brussels opened a case asking whether Align forces or rewards dentists to take its scanner and its Invisalign aligners together. Opening a case is not a finding.

Outcome: Formal proceedings opened as AT.40900. The Commission said the opening does not prejudge the result. No statement of objections or decision had issued by early October 2026.

AI subscribers sued Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI, and Google on September 18, 2026, saying the companies agreed to slow model improvements. The case is new and undecided.

Outcome: No motion has been decided in this summary. A complaint is not a finding.

States sued to stop Nexstar from buying Tegna after federal antitrust clearance. A judge paused the merger in April 2026. The lawsuit was still open after that.

Outcome: A preliminary injunction is in place from April 2026. That is not a final judgment. The Federal Bar Association's summer 2026 report still described the consolidated challenge as pending.

A device maker sued Medtronic on September 18, 2026, saying bundle penalties keep hospitals from trying a rival anti-fog tool. The case just started.

Outcome: No ruling is recorded. A complaint is not a finding.

Memorabilia sellers have sued TikTok. A new complaint landed September 11, 2026 on the same theory as a 2025 case. Neither has a judgment in this file.

Outcome: Both complaints were still the live record as of the September 21, 2026 docket report. No dismissal or settlement is recorded here.

Cities are suing fire-truck makers over alleged price coordination. New complaints were still being filed in September 2026.

Outcome: The follow-on complaints show the litigation was still being filed in September 2026. This file does not record a class settlement or dismissal.

A Chicago judge let the frozen-potato price case go forward on September 17, 2026, including claims against the data vendor Circana and McCain Foods.

Outcome: Federal claims survived the motions to dismiss. Some state-law claims were dismissed. There is no trial verdict.

A would-be store-brand formula maker survived a motion to dismiss on September 18, 2026. It says Perrigo bought the only plant that could have supplied a new competitor.

Outcome: The acquisition claims remain in the case. The court said alternatives such as Abbott, Mead Johnson, or imports are factual questions, not a reason to dismiss.

A Wi-Fi-calling antitrust case is still open against Apple and Google. On September 23, 2026 the judge postponed that decision and sent Samsung's part to arbitration.

Outcome: Samsung was compelled to arbitration. The antitrust merits against Apple and Google were not decided.

A wage case against naval shipbuilders got preliminary settlement approval on September 17, 2026. It is not finished until the court enters final approval.

Outcome: Preliminary approval is not a final judgment. The court still has to approve notice and hold a final hearing.

Elanco's flea-and-tick antitrust settlement is only preliminarily approved. The final hearing is April 1, 2027, so the case is still open.

Outcome: The settlement is not final. The court set the final approval hearing for April 1, 2027.

A California class action says gas stations let Kalibrate's software set pump prices together. It was still at the pleading stage in October 2026, with an answer due October 23.

Outcome: The case is at the pleading stage. No dismissal or settlement is recorded.

The DOJ sued three egg companies on June 29, 2026 and proposed a settlement the same day. Court approval under the Tunney Act was still outstanding in October.

Outcome: The proposed decrees include $3.3 million in civil payments, a donation of 53 million eggs, and conduct limits. They are not final until the court enters them.

Egg buyers have their own case in Wisconsin, separate from the DOJ settlement. It was still described as ongoing in October 2026.

Outcome: The government decrees, even if entered, would not pay the private class. The private MDL was still described as open.

A customer sued McDonald's on October 2, 2026 over an alleged common pricing engine for franchise restaurants. The case just started.

Outcome: The case is newly filed.

An independent surgeon sued a New Jersey hospital and two surgical groups on October 2, 2026 over access to emergency call. The case is new.

Outcome: Newly filed.

A U.S. class action filed October 2, 2026 says Expedia's rate-parity rules keep hotel prices up. It is separate from Europe's Booking cases and has no ruling yet.

Outcome: Newly filed.

A California multiple-listing service sued Compass on October 5, 2026 to defend rules that push public listings into the MLS. The case is open.

Outcome: Newly filed. No declaration has been entered in this summary.

Grocery shoppers sued dairy cooperatives on October 5, 2026, saying a joint export program kept U.S. milk and cheese prices up. The case is new.

Outcome: Newly filed.

Keurig is facing antitrust complaints about single-serve brewers and pods. Another one was filed October 2, 2026. There is no judgment in this file.

Outcome: New filings in October 2026 show the dispute is open.

A Texas anesthesia monopoly case survived in part on September 30, 2026. The hospital claims continue. Some related claims were dismissed.

Outcome: Hospital-market claims continue. Surgery-center claims were dismissed without prejudice. A conspiracy count among commonly controlled entities was dismissed with prejudice.

Tennis players' antitrust case survived a motion to dismiss on September 30, 2026. Pay and rival-tournament claims are still in court.

Outcome: The antitrust claims remain. Dismissal was denied.

A hospital-contract case against NewYork-Presbyterian survived dismissal in the week of October 5, 2026.

Outcome: Dismissal was denied. The case continues.

LinkedIn was sued on September 14, 2026 over integration cutoffs and a pricier tier. The case is undecided.

Outcome: Newly filed.

A no-poach case against two aircraft-interior suppliers was filed September 14, 2026 and is undecided.

Outcome: Newly filed.

A Suffolk County waste hauler sued a rival on September 16, 2026 over alleged sham litigation. The case is new.

Outcome: Newly filed.

Long Island neurosurgeons sued Anthem's parent on September 17, 2026. The case is open.

Outcome: Newly filed.

Oil purchasers filed more shale-production antitrust complaints on September 17, 2026. The MDL is open.

Outcome: New complaints show the litigation is open.

Connecticut's generic skin-drug case got narrower on September 11, 2026, and several drug claims are still in court.

Outcome: Clindamycin, certain Desonide conduct, Econazole, Fluocinonide, and Halobetasol claims remain. Other drug claims against that executive were dismissed.

An extended-stay hotel pricing case is still open. A judge kept software firm SAS in the suit on September 15, 2026.

Outcome: SAS remains a defendant. The court has not decided whether a Sherman Act claim is ultimately stated.

IFF settled the fragrance consumer case on September 16, 2026. The manufacturers who did not settle are still being sued.

Outcome: IFF is finished. The case against non-settling manufacturers continues.

A private attempt to stop the Paramount-Warner merger failed on September 30, 2026. The complaint was not reported as dismissed. The states' settlement closed the deal.

Outcome: The TRO was denied. The complaint itself was not described as dismissed.

A Massachusetts breeder sued the state breeders' association on October 6, 2026. The case is new and undecided.

Outcome: Newly filed.

The state Paramount-Warner case is over. The merger closed on October 6, 2026.

Outcome: The case is closed. Commitments cover theatrical releases, domestic production spending, separate cable-channel deals, and an editorial board for CBS News and CNN.

An antitrust counterclaim about a trademark filing was dismissed on September 30, 2026.

Outcome: The court rejected the theory and ended the counterclaim.

The Arizona chiropractic board won dismissal on September 15, 2026.

Outcome: The Sherman Act claim is dismissed.

A draughts organizer won an antitrust judgment on September 15, 2026 on unanswered admissions.

Outcome: The antitrust claim was decided for the plaintiff. The case is not open.

Most of Europe’s apps and company systems run on a few US clouds. In November 2025 EU regulators opened Digital Markets Act investigations into Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure—asking whether lock-in fees, licences, and technical walls make switching or using rival software too hard. No fine yet.

Outcome: Investigations opened November 2025. No infringement decision or fine yet. Parallel work continues under the Data Act and classic Article 102 theories.

WhatsApp is how many European small businesses talk to customers. In December 2025 EU antitrust officials opened a probe into WhatsApp Business; in April 2026 they expanded it to Meta’s AI features—asking whether rival chatbots and support tools are being shut out. No finding yet.

Outcome: Probe opened December 2025 and expanded April 2026. No Statement of Objections or fine has been issued.

Britain is using a new law to put conduct rules on Google search. The investigation started in 2025. The actual rules were still being written in 2026.

Outcome: The investigation was opened in 2025. Designation and the content of any conduct requirements were the unfinished work into 2026. This is a UK file, separate from the US search appeal and from EU DMA fines.

The UK regulator opened a strategic-market case on Apple's mobile platform in 2025. In 2026 it was still about whether to designate Apple and what rules would follow. It is not the EU fine and not the US lawsuit.

Outcome: Opened in 2025. As with the Google search SMS file, designation and conduct requirements were still the work in progress through 2026. No UK fine in this file.

The FTC says Zillow paid Redfin to stop competing for apartment ads. A settlement was noticed in August 2026 and was still described as awaiting approval in mid-October.

Outcome: A stipulated order was noticed on August 24, 2026. Court approval had not been described as complete as of October 16, 2026. The case stays on the live list until a judgment is entered.

College athletes are still suing over NCAA eligibility rules. A judge refused an early injunction in September 2026, and more athletes sued in October. The cases are open.

Outcome: The Idaho court said the athletes had not yet defined the market well enough for an injunction. The lawsuits continue, and more were filed in October.

A Massachusetts judge is letting doctors pursue claims that insurers and Zelis jointly pushed down out-of-network payments. Aetna was dismissed. The rest of the case runs through 2027 discovery.

Outcome: Cigna, Humana, Elevance, and Zelis remained in the case after Aetna's dismissal. A trial window around March 2028 has been discussed. No liability finding is recorded.

RealPage won a temporary block on part of New York's rent-algorithm law on September 29, 2026. The rest of the law survived that round, and the case continues to trial.

Outcome: Section 3 of the statute is enjoined for now. Section 2, aimed at facilitating price-fixing, was upheld at this stage. A trial on the merits is still ahead.

A Chicago judge let an equipment-rental price case proceed against the Rouse benchmark and its customers on September 28, 2026. The parent company was dismissed.

Outcome: Rouse and the rental companies remain in the case. RB Global is out. There is no trial verdict.

Michigan sued Blue Cross plans on October 8, 2026 over alleged market allocation. A related private case dates to March 2025. This file does not record a final judgment.

Outcome: A new state complaint in October 2026 means this round of litigation is open.

Europe's Digital Markets Act tells the biggest tech platforms—gatekeepers like Apple and Google—what they must do up front: choice screens, alternative app stores, fair messaging links, and more. Early compliance updates drew complaints that new fees and scary pop-ups discourage real competition. EU regulators opened investigations, but no final penalties have been decided—this is an ongoing regulatory story, not a finished court case.

Outcome: The Commission has issued DMA non-compliance decisions, including Apple's €500 million steering fine and Meta's €200 million pay-or-consent fine in April 2025. On 8 July 2026 the General Court dismissed Apple's challenge to its App Store and iOS gatekeeper designation. Other DMA files remain open.

When you open a news website, a hidden auction often picks the ad you see. A US court found in April 2025 that Google sat at too many steps in that chain and used that position illegally. The September 2026 remedy order requires more open auctions and interoperability but does not force Google to sell AdX.

Outcome: Liability found April 17, 2025. On September 2, 2026 Judge Brinkema ordered behavioral remedies — Prebid integration, publisher data export, and limits on AdWords favoring Google's tools — and rejected an AdX sale. A joint proposed final judgment was filed October 2, 2026 with disagreements still marked for the court. It had not been entered. Google has said it plans to appeal the liability ruling.

Europe's Digital Markets Act requires Apple to let EU users and developers use alternative app stores and payment links. In April 2025 the Commission fined Apple €500 million for anti-steering. A second probe into Apple's new App Store business terms is still open.

Outcome: April 2025: €500 million fine and orders to stop anti-steering that blocks developers from telling EU users about cheaper web or alternative-store options. The new-business-terms (NBT) investigation remains open.

Europe already pushed Amazon to change how its Buy Box picks default sellers on its marketplace. Now regulators are investigating again, asking whether Amazon still favors its own products and fulfillment service (FBA). Sellers say ranking and shipping rules remain unfair. Amazon disputes that. The probe is active—no new fine yet.

Outcome: Formal investigation ongoing; no new infringement decision or fine issued as of public reporting.

The Justice Department's Live Nation case is in a proposed 2026 settlement that a judge had not finished reviewing by early October. States that refused the deal won a jury verdict and are still in court. The proposed federal deal is not a Ticketmaster breakup.

Outcome: A term sheet was signed on 5 March 2026. On 12 June 2026 the Justice Department and six states filed a proposed final judgment; the court entered the stipulation on 15 June. Public comments closed 4 September 2026, so Tunney Act review was not finished as of early October. Other states refused the deal, tried the case, and a jury found liability on the major claims. Those state claims are still open.

TikTok is hugely popular in Europe, and regulators are asking whether it should face the same strict Digital Markets Act rules as Apple and Google. They also opened a probe into TikTok Lite rewards features. ByteDance says it competes fairly. No final gatekeeper label or guilt finding has been announced yet.

Outcome: Designation debates and compliance preparations ongoing; no final DMA gatekeeper designation or abuse finding publicly finalized for TikTok as of typical reporting.

Big Tech funded AI startups through partnerships instead of classic mergers. The FTC wants to know whether those deals secretly block competition for chips, data, and engineers. This is an inquiry—a fact-finding step—not a ruling that AI partnerships are illegal.

Outcome: Mandatory orders to major players are pending analysis; no enforcement action or court judgment has concluded the inquiry.

The US government says Apple keeps iPhone users locked in by hobbling messaging, cloud games, rival watches, and other wallets. A judge let the case proceed in June 2025. It was still in discovery in October 2026, with settlement talks reported and no deal.

Outcome: On 30 June 2025 Judge Julien Neals denied Apple's motion to dismiss and rejected a worldwide market definition. The case is in discovery. Bloomberg reported early settlement talks in July 2026. No deal had been announced by early October 2026, and no trial date was set.

Alongside the DOJ lawsuit, consumers and other private plaintiffs are suing Apple on the same smartphone theory. Those cases are bundled in New Jersey and were still in discovery in 2026.

Outcome: MDL No. 3113 is in coordinated discovery with the government case. A March 2026 status letter showed the parties still fighting over deposition limits. No class trial date was set.

The US government says Visa protects a debit monopoly with deals that stop merchants from routing transactions to cheaper networks. The case survived a motion to dismiss in June 2025 and had no trial date as of 2026.

Outcome: A motion to dismiss was denied in June 2025. Fact discovery had not produced a trial date. Prosecutors warned in scheduling fights that Visa's proposed calendar could push trial into 2027 or 2028.

The FTC is investigating Microsoft's cloud licenses and its OpenAI tie. As of mid-2026 it had sent demands for documents and had not sued.

Outcome: Civil investigative demands went to Microsoft and to competitors. As of reporting in June 2026, the agency had not filed a lawsuit. An investigation is not a charge.

Apple is still in court over how far it must open iOS to rivals under Europe's Digital Markets Act. The fight is about specification decisions, not about whether Apple is a gatekeeper — that designation challenge failed in July 2026.

Outcome: Apple's appeals of specification proceedings DMA.100203 and DMA.100204 were still pending as of September 2026. A published account of the docket said one per-feature deadline remains 1 June 2027. The General Court separately dismissed Apple's challenge to its gatekeeper designation on 8 July 2026.

Google Search is under Europe's Digital Markets Act, and Brussels is still checking whether results and data practices comply. That supervision was ongoing in 2026 and is not the American search appeal.

Outcome: Designation is in force. Non-compliance work continued through 2026 alongside other Google DMA files. This is not the 2017 Shopping fine and not the US D.C. Circuit appeal.

Amazon's European marketplace is under the Digital Markets Act. Brussels is still checking how seller data and the Buy Box work. That is separate from the American FTC trial.

Outcome: Designation and the 2024 compliance deadline are behind it. Supervision and possible non-compliance work continued through 2026. The 2022 Buy Box commitment case is a different file.

Booking.com is a European gatekeeper for hotel booking. The Commission is still checking parity and data rules. Older cases that limited wide price-parity clauses did not end this file.

Outcome: Designation took effect in 2024. Compliance supervision continued through 2026. Older European parity cases narrowed wide most-favored-nation clauses and did not retire this DMA file.

Southern Glazer's case ended October 2, 2026 with a six-year order.

Outcome: The order lasts six years and requires a monitor, price reports, and a cure payment above a $5,000 gap.

Michigan v. BP was dismissed with prejudice on September 22, 2026.

Outcome: The court dismissed the federal claim and declined the state-law claim.

The US Federal Trade Commission says Amazon uses its dominance in online shopping to hurt sellers and shoppers—for example, by punishing merchants who offer lower prices on other websites and by favoring Amazon's own products in search. Amazon calls the lawsuit wrong on the facts and the law. The case is still in early litigation, so treat claims as allegations.

Outcome: Judge Chun denied Amazon's motion to dismiss in April 2025. A December 2025 schedule set expert discovery in 2026 and a bench trial for 29 March 2027. A related District of Columbia case is on its own pretrial track. No judgment on the monopoly claims.

Booking.com and other travel sites once barred hotels from offering cheaper rooms on their own websites. Europe banned the worst 'parity' clauses years ago, but regulators are investigating again—saying fine-print rules may still block discounts. Hotels want pricing freedom; Booking says it competes fairly. Probes continue with no EU-wide final ruling yet.

Outcome: Investigations and sector inquiries ongoing across member states and at EU level; no pan-EU final decision publicly concluded.

Europe is investigating whether Microsoft illegally bundled Teams video chat into Office subscriptions, making it hard for Slack and others to compete. Microsoft now sells Office without Teams in many markets and cut prices—but the EU probe is not closed. No fine or final ruling yet.

Outcome: On 12 September 2025 the Commission made Microsoft's Article 9 commitments binding in AT.40721 and AT.40873. Microsoft must offer EEA suites without Teams, with switching, interoperability, and data portability. Core duties last seven years; interoperability and portability last ten. Slack and alfaview withdrew their complaints.

Meta makes billions selling ads on Facebook and Instagram using detailed user data. Europe is probing whether its ad tools and 'Ad Library' transparency features unfairly help Meta and hinder rivals, researchers, and political advertisers. New EU political ad rules add pressure. Investigations continue—Meta has not been found guilty in a final ads-specific decision.

Outcome: Investigations and DMA compliance checks ongoing; no final infringement decision solely on Ad Library issues publicly concluded.

Most companies rent computing power from a few giant clouds—Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. The FTC is asking whether those providers make it artificially hard to leave or to run popular software on a competitor's servers. The review is ongoing; no final US case has concluded.

Outcome: Information gathering and staff analysis continue; no public enforcement decision or court ruling has concluded the inquiry.

In most US states you must buy a new car through a franchised dealer, not directly from Ford or Toyota. The FTC is examining whether those rules reduce price competition and block new ways of selling electric vehicles. Fights play out in state capitals and courts; there is no single national verdict yet.

Outcome: Policy workshops, state legislative battles, and selective enforcement continue; no comprehensive federal order has restructured auto retail.

Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery planned a sports-only streamer called Venu. A court blocked it, Fubo settled, and the partners cancelled Venu on 10 January 2025. The related Disney–Fubo deal closed in October 2025. This file is closed.

Outcome: Fubo settled in January 2025 as Disney agreed to combine Hulu + Live TV with Fubo. The three partners cancelled Venu on 10 January 2025. The Justice Department reviewed the Disney-Fubo deal and cleared it; the combination closed in late October 2025.

Europe wants its own advanced chip factories and is spending public money to get them. Regulators must ensure subsidies do not create a new monopoly gatekeeper for who can manufacture silicon. Reviews of Intel, TSMC, and Samsung projects continue alongside normal antitrust rules.

Outcome: Aid approvals with conditions, ongoing monitoring, and separate abuse probes continue; no final closure of EU chip competition policy.

Small businesses often depend on Amazon, eBay, or Walmart.com for discovery and shipping. The FTC is studying whether those platforms suspend sellers unfairly, copy their products, or force them to buy ads to stay visible. Related Amazon litigation is active; nothing is finally decided for all marketplaces.

Outcome: Investigations overlap with the separate Amazon monopolization case but focus on seller-facing practices; no standalone final order yet.

Pharmacy chains are closing stores while CVS and others also run insurance and PBM businesses. The FTC is reviewing whether consolidation and vertical ties reduce prescription competition in your neighborhood. Reviews continue store-by-store; there is no final national breakup order.

Outcome: Investigations into specific transactions and industry studies continue; Rite Aid bankruptcy-related sales face ongoing review without a single nationwide remedy order.

Most Americans choose among three big cell carriers. The Justice Department still watches that market after approving T-Mobile's Sprint deal with conditions. New spectrum sales and network-sharing talks stay on the antitrust radar, but no fresh megamerger trial is finished.

Outcome: Compliance under prior consent decrees, new transaction reviews, and industry studies proceed; no new breakup order has issued.

Spotify says Apple Music competes on iPhones while Apple’s App Store rules tax and silence rival streamers. The EU opened a sector-wide review of music streaming fairness, overlapping with DMA duties and an earlier Apple Music antitrust case. Outcomes are not final.

Outcome: Investigation under Article 102 and DMA overlaps continue; Apple Music streaming case precedent exists separately; no final streaming-specific decision closed the sector review.

Cloud gaming lets you play console-quality games on a phone by streaming from remote servers. Apple historically kept cloud gaming apps off iPhones or forced cumbersome workarounds. Europe's DMA and antitrust reviews ask whether that blocked competition. Access is improving in the EU, but enforcement is not finished.

Outcome: DMA browser and app distribution duties apply; cloud gaming-specific abuse probes and developer disputes continue without final EU-wide remedy.

News sites sell ad space through automated auctions. Publishers say Google controls the server that runs those auctions and steers revenue to itself. The DOJ and states sued alongside a broader ad-tech case. Trials are ahead; courts have not ruled Google liable.

Outcome: Consolidated litigation proceeds toward trial; courts have not entered final judgment or structural breakup of publisher tools.

In the EU, Meta asked people to pay for Facebook and Instagram or accept ads built from data combined across its apps. In April 2025 the Commission said that binary choice broke the Digital Markets Act and fined Meta €200 million. Meta is appealing; users may see a third option that is free but less personalised.

Outcome: April 2025 non-compliance decision: €200 million fine and orders to offer a less personalised-ads path that is not conditioned on paying or on combining data across services. Meta has indicated it will appeal.

The US government says Agri Stats' reports helped meat companies see each other's numbers and soften competition. A 2026 settlement was proposed and had not been entered as a final judgment.

Outcome: The DOJ and states announced a proposed settlement in 2026 that would restrict the reports. Until a court enters judgment, the case is not closed, and private protein cases sit beside it.

Britain investigated the big cloud providers and moved the issue into its new conduct-rules system. That follow-on work was still open in 2026, beside a separate EU look at AWS and Azure.

Outcome: The market investigation's findings fed SMS work rather than a one-time fine. EU DMA cloud investigations of AWS and Azure are a parallel file. Neither had produced a final conduct code that ended the issue by October 2026.

A federal appeals court put the Atlantic City hotel-algorithm case back on track in July 2026 and refused a rehearing in October. It is live again. The Las Vegas version of the claim stayed dismissed.

Outcome: The case is back for litigation after the appeal. There is no trial verdict. A similar Las Vegas case, Gibson v. Cendyn, remains dismissed.

Baltimore sued Bausch on September 22, 2026 over an alleged deal to delay a generic IBS drug. An earlier purchaser case dates to 2023. There is no judgment in this file.

Outcome: The September 2026 follow-on shows the dispute is still being filed. This file does not record a liability finding.

The Las Vegas hotel-algorithm case is over. Dismissal was affirmed in 2025.

Outcome: The case is dismissed.

Meta bought Within, the company behind Supernatural, a VR workout app. The FTC tried to stop the deal, saying Meta was buying off a future competitor instead of building its own fitness app. A judge said the FTC did not prove its theory and let the sale go through—showing how hard it is to block mergers in young markets based on what might have happened.

Outcome: District court denied the FTC's preliminary injunction; Meta closed the deal. Illustrates difficulty of nascent-market and potential-competition theories.

Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard, home of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, for roughly $69 billion. Regulators worried Microsoft might make those games exclusive to Xbox or its cloud service. The UK initially said no, then yes after Microsoft promised to license games to other cloud platforms. The US FTC failed to stop the deal in court, and the EU cleared it with conditions. Gamers still see Call of Duty on PlayStation—for now, under negotiated deals.

Outcome: Deal closed after UK CMA initially blocked then accepted restructured cloud licensing remedies; FTC preliminary injunction denied though administrative case continued separately.

Spirit Airlines sells some of the cheapest US plane tickets by charging extra for almost everything else. JetBlue tried to buy Spirit to get bigger. The government sued, saying losing Spirit as an independent discounter would mean higher fares. A judge agreed and stopped the merger. JetBlue walked away—one of the Biden-era DOJ's visible airline merger wins.

Outcome: District court enjoined merger in January 2024; companies abandoned the deal; Spirit later pursued bankruptcy/restructuring.

When Microsoft bought Activision, most attention was on PlayStation vs Xbox. Britain's antitrust agency cared more about cloud gaming—playing high-end games streamed over the internet. It first blocked the deal, fearing Microsoft would hoard Activision hits on its own cloud service. Microsoft then promised to license those games to other cloud platforms for 15 years, and the UK approved. It is a short case study in remedy-driven clearance.

Outcome: April 2023 prohibition decision; October 2023 clearance after cloud content licensing undertakings; deal completed globally.

Kroger wanted to buy rival Albertsons in one of the biggest US grocery deals ever. A federal judge blocked it in December 2024. The companies later killed the agreement. The merger is dismissed, not still on appeal.

Outcome: District court blocked the merger in December 2024. The parties terminated the deal; remaining appellate and contract fights wound down. The combination is dead—no merged chain exists.

When you tap your iPhone to pay, Apple Pay uses NFC wireless tech—but EU regulators say Apple blocked banks and other wallets from using that chip equally. Europe opened an abuse-of-dominance case. Apple is opening NFC access in the EU, yet investigators haven't issued a final ruling or fine.

Outcome: On 11 July 2024 the Commission made Apple's Article 9 commitments binding in AT.40452 and closed the proceedings. For ten years, eligible EEA developers get free access to iPhone NFC so wallet apps can work without Apple Pay. A trustee monitors compliance.

Rent went up in many US cities—and prosecutors say one reason is software. RealPage's tool allegedly lets big landlords share secret pricing data and follow the same algorithm's suggestions, acting like a price-fixing cartel without a smoke-filled room. DOJ, states, and tenants sued. Landlords and RealPage deny wrongdoing. No court has ruled yet.

Outcome: The DOJ reached proposed resolutions with RealPage, Cortland, Greystar, LivCor, Willow Bridge (July 6, 2026), and Pinnacle (September 4, 2026). Those decrees bind the Justice Department's claims only. On October 1, 2026 the court denied motions to dismiss the plaintiff states' claims against RealPage, Pinnacle, Camden, and Willow Bridge and said those claims are not mooted by the DOJ decrees. Unless the states settle, that part of the case moves toward trial.

UnitedHealth bought Change Healthcare—a company that processes huge shares of US medical claims—after beating a DOJ block attempt. A massive 2024 cyberattack on Change froze pharmacies and clinics, sparking new outrage about one company owning both insurance and critical health data pipes. Congress is investigating; no court has ordered a breakup.

Outcome: Merger closed after 2022 litigation loss for DOJ; post-attack reviews, hearings, and private litigation strands ongoing—no retroactive breakup ordered.

Europe's Digital Markets Act treats the biggest tech platforms like regulated utilities: they must open doors they used to lock. Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and others must offer more choice in app stores, messaging, search defaults, and data sharing. Regulators are still checking whether the changes work—or whether companies comply only on the surface.

Outcome: Designations and core obligations are in force; compliance dialogues, DMA Article 29 market investigations, and potential fines remain active. No final closure of oversight.

The FTC sued the three largest pharmacy benefit managers over insulin rebates. Express Scripts settled in February 2026 and Caremark in July 2026. Optum's proposed consent still needed Commission approval, so the docket was still pending.

Outcome: FTC docket 9437 was still listed as pending in July 2026. Express Scripts' settlement was announced February 4, 2026, and Caremark's on July 14, 2026. The Optum portion was withdrawn from adjudication for a proposed consent that the Commission had not finally approved. This file stays live until that last consent is finished.

Kroger tried to buy Albertsons. The FTC said shoppers would lose a local supermarket rival. A judge blocked the deal in December 2024 and the companies later killed the agreement. The merger is dismissed.

Outcome: District court blocked closing in December 2024. The companies terminated the agreement and dropped remaining appeals. The merger is dead.

Europe closed its Apple Pay antitrust case on 11 July 2024. Apple committed for ten years to let other wallets use the iPhone's tap-to-pay chip in the European Economic Area. Digital Markets Act payment duties are a separate file and were not closed by that decision.

Outcome: The Commission closed AT.40452 on 11 July 2024 by making Apple's NFC access commitments binding for ten years. DMA payment duties are a separate, still-active track.

Most imported goods ride in containers on ships operated by a handful of global carriers that legally cooperate in alliances. After pandemic price spikes, US agencies asked whether those alliances act too much like cartels. Investigations and FMC oversight continue; alliances still operate.

Outcome: Congress adjusted FMC authority; antitrust agencies monitor alliance filings; no US court has dismantled a major alliance yet.

Hotels often sell rooms through Booking.com and Expedia, which once forbade lower prices on hotel websites. Europe banned the worst parity clauses, but regulators still check whether platforms punish hotels that offer cheaper direct deals. Reviews continue country by country.

Outcome: National parity bans and EU-wide dialogues continue; Commission and NCAs monitor compliance without a single EU-wide fine closing the matter.

Restaurants pay delivery apps hefty commissions on every order. European regulators are checking whether platforms abuse power by pushing ads, hiding ranking rules, or favoring their own ghost kitchens. National fee caps appeared; EU antitrust cases continue without a final continent-wide verdict.

Outcome: Spanish and other national measures capped fees temporarily; abuse investigations and DMA-style transparency debates continue without EU-wide final penalties.

The FTC says Syngenta and Corteva paid distributors in ways that kept generic pesticides off shelves after patents ended. The 2022 case is the live pesticide-loyalty file.

Outcome: The case was filed in 2022 and has been contested. This entry does not record a trial verdict. Treat later headlines as updates to the docket, not as decided by this summary.

India's competition authority fined Google over Android and the Play Store in 2022. Appeals have changed parts of those orders and were still the live procedure.

Outcome: CCI orders in 2022 imposed penalties and behavioral directions. Google obtained appellate scrutiny that reduced or stayed parts of the orders at times. The appeals were not a final Supreme Court end-point that wiped the file out. Treat the Indian docket as open until that court says otherwise.

When you load a news site, an invisible auction often decides which ad you see. A US court found Google illegally steered that chain and, in September 2026, ordered behavioral fixes—not an AdX breakup. The EU investigation is still open.

Outcome: US track: liability 17 April 2025. On 2 September 2026 Judge Brinkema rejected an AdX sale and accepted behavioral remedies; the parties had not agreed a final judgment as of early October 2026. EU track: the Commission fined Google about €2.95 billion in 2025 for ad-tech abuse. Treat the two as related but not identical.

Illumina makes the sequencing machines many genetic tests rely on. It bought GRAIL, which sells a blood test meant to detect many cancers early. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic said owning GRAIL would let Illumina starve rival test makers of access to its platform. Courts and agencies ordered Illumina to get rid of GRAIL—and the company eventually did.

Outcome: Regulators ordered divestiture; Illumina ultimately spun off GRAIL after losing key appeals and facing massive penalties in Europe.

Google wants to replace tracking cookies in Chrome with new Privacy Sandbox tools. UK regulators opened a long-running investigation worried that the switch could hand Google more ad power while hurting news sites and ad-tech companies. Google made promises to the CMA and keeps delaying cookie removal. Oversight continues—no final verdict that the plan is safe for competition.

Outcome: On 17 October 2025 the CMA released the 2022 commitments. Google had dropped plans to remove third-party cookies or force a standalone cookie prompt, and in October 2025 said it would retire several Sandbox APIs. The CMA found its competition concerns no longer arose.

Europe wants more train companies competing on the same tracks. Rivals say Deutsche Bahn—which owns much of Germany's rail network—makes it hard to get fair access to stations and schedules. The EU opened an abuse-of-dominance investigation. Deutsche Bahn denies favoritism. No final fine or ruling yet.

Outcome: Formal investigation opened 2023; Commission and German regulator coordination ongoing—no final infringement decision announced.

The FTC and five states sued John Deere over tractor repair software. They settled on 8 July 2026. For ten years Deere must give farmers and independent shops the same repair tools it gives dealers. The case is closed.

Outcome: On 8 July 2026 the FTC, with Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, filed a settlement. For ten years Deere must give farmers and independent repair shops the same software repair tools it gives authorized dealers, on fair and reasonable terms, including later tools once most dealers have them.

Washington, D.C. is suing Amazon over marketplace pricing and the Buy Box, separate from the FTC case. Both were still pretrial in 2026, with trials discussed for 2027.

Outcome: The case remained in pretrial in 2026. Parties in the related FTC action told the Seattle court that D.C.'s trial calendar, discussed around May 2027, had to be coordinated with the FTC bench trial set for 29 March 2027. No judgment.

Europe fined Google about €2.95 billion in 2025 over ad tech. Google contests EU antitrust fines as a matter of course. The American case ended its remedy phase in September 2026 without forcing a sale of the ad exchange.

Outcome: A 2025 Commission fine of about €2.95 billion is on the public record. Google's practice in EU antitrust cases is to appeal, and this fine should be treated as contested until the General Court rules. The US court, separately, rejected an AdX divestiture on 2 September 2026.

The government's ad-tech win against Google does not automatically pay publishers. Their own damages cases were still alive after the September 2026 remedy.

Outcome: The DOJ won liability in April 2025 and a behavioral remedy framework on September 2, 2026. In the publisher multidistrict case in the Southern District of New York, Judge Castel denied Google's summary-judgment motion and set trial for April 5, 2027. No damages judgment is recorded here.

South Korea's competition authority fined and ordered Google over the Play Store. Google appealed. That Korean case was still a live appeal while the US Epic case moved on a separate track.

Outcome: The KFTC issued corrective orders and a fine. Google appealed. Epic's US injunction and Korea's order are different instruments aimed at similar conduct. Neither replaces the other.

The US government sued Google over search defaults—the box most people use to find things online. A court found Google broke the law in 2024. The September 2025 remedy order curbs exclusive default deals but does not spin off Chrome or Android.

Outcome: Judge Mehta found liability in August 2024 and, in a September 2025 order, barred exclusive default deals and required data-sharing. He refused to order a Chrome or Android sale. Google appealed to the D.C. Circuit in January 2026; the Justice Department and states cross-appealed. On May 7, 2026 he denied, without prejudice, Google's request for a partial stay. The cross-appeals were still pending in October 2026.

Spotify and other music apps compete with Apple Music but must use Apple's App Store to reach iPhone users. Europe says Apple used its control of that store to block apps from telling you about cheaper prices on the web and to favor its own music service. Apple was fined, but arguments over App Store changes are still playing out.

Outcome: Commission fined Apple €1.84 billion in 2024 for music streaming-related abuses; DMA gatekeeper obligations and compliance monitoring continue.

Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, deliberately broke Apple's App Store payment rules and sued, hoping to force Apple to allow other payment methods and app stores on iPhones. Apple mostly won: courts said Epic did not prove Apple is an illegal monopolist under federal law. Epic did get a limited win allowing apps to mention external payment options under California state law.

Outcome: Most federal antitrust claims failed; Apple won on core Sherman Act theories. A narrow California unfair-competition injunction allowed some external payment links. The Supreme Court declined further review in 2024. In April 2025 the district court found Apple had not complied with that injunction.

Arm designs chip architecture used in most smartphones—but does not make chips itself. NVIDIA, a chip giant, tried to buy Arm and promised to keep licensing fair. Regulators in the US, UK, and Europe did not believe that would work and moved to block the deal. NVIDIA gave up in 2022, and Arm eventually went public instead.

Outcome: FTC sued to block; UK CMA and EU opened in-depth reviews; NVIDIA abandoned the deal in February 2022; Arm later pursued IPO.

The FTC said Meta bought Instagram and WhatsApp to kill future rivals. A trial court sided with Meta in November 2025 and refused a breakup. The FTC appealed in January 2026, so the fight continues on appeal—not as a live trial.

Outcome: After a merits trial, the district court ruled for Meta in November 2025, declining to unwind Instagram or WhatsApp. The FTC noticed an appeal in January 2026. No breakup is in force.

Big airlines team up on international routes through 'joint ventures' that share money and schedules—sometimes with government permission that shields them from antitrust suits. US enforcers keep reviewing whether those deals reduce competition and raise fares. The Northeast Alliance was blocked, but many immunized alliances still fly. Reviews continue; no mass breakup order yet.

Outcome: Periodic reviews, sunset conditions, and informational demands ongoing; no blanket dissolution order publicly issued in current review cycles.

After Epic sued Apple over App Store fees and rules, several state attorneys general filed similar cases. Courts mostly sided with Apple on federal antitrust claims but forced some changes to anti-steering rules. Appeals and state theories continue—Apple has not lost a nationwide monopolization verdict.

Outcome: Mixed Epic/Apple Ninth Circuit outcome in 2023; state claims and consumer suits continue with appeals and remanded issues—no final nationwide liability.

Epic beat Google before a jury on the Play Store. An appeals court agreed in July 2025, and the Supreme Court would not pause the order in October 2025. The case was still on appeal and in remedy talks in 2026.

Outcome: Jury verdict for Epic in December 2023. A three-year injunction requires rival stores and catalog access. The Ninth Circuit affirmed in July 2025. The Supreme Court denied a stay in October 2025. A further stay request and settlement talk were reported into 2026. The injunction fight is not over.

Europe investigated whether Amazon unfairly used data from third-party sellers to launch competing products and whether its 'Buy Box' favored Amazon's own offers. Instead of a final guilty verdict, Amazon agreed to binding promises: stop misusing seller data and apply Buy Box rules more fairly, with an independent monitor checking compliance.

Outcome: Amazon offered binding commitments accepted by the Commission in 2022, avoiding a formal infringement decision while imposing data-use and equal-treatment obligations.

Europe fined Meta about €798 million in November 2024 for tying Facebook Marketplace to the social network. Meta is challenging that fine, so the antitrust case is still live. A separate DMA label on Marketplace was annulled by the General Court on 3 June 2026.

Outcome: The November 2024 tying decision is under challenge. Separately, the Commission repealed Marketplace's DMA gatekeeper label in April 2025, and on 3 June 2026 the General Court annulled that designation while leaving Messenger's designation in place.

Spotify says Apple used App Store rules to favor Apple Music—blocking cheaper sign-up links and charging commissions rivals couldn't avoid. Europe fined Apple €1.84 billion in 2024 for anti-steering abuse in music streaming. Apple is appealing, and Spotify still fights over DMA fees. The war isn't over, but EU regulators have scored one major win.

Outcome: March 2024 infringement decision imposed €1.84B fine on Apple for music streaming steering; Apple appealed. Spotify pursues further DMA fee challenges—overall dispute not fully closed.

The beef antitrust MDL is still open. New complaints against the packers were filed in September and October 2026.

Outcome: New complaints in September and October 2026 show the MDL is open. Individual settlements from earlier years are not a close of the whole docket.

Broadcom dominates chips inside cable boxes and modems. Europe feared it was signing exclusive deals that shut out rival chipmakers. Regulators ordered Broadcom to stop those practices immediately—then accepted long-term commitments.

Outcome: 2019 interim measures—rare in EU abuse cases; 2020 commitments decision; investigation closed without fine after compliance.

Pork buyers finished a settlement with Agri Stats on September 10, 2026. That order does not close the packer claims.

Outcome: The Agri Stats direct-purchaser slice is finished. Unreleased packer claims keep the MDL on the live list.

T-Mobile buying Sprint cut America's national wireless carriers from four to three. The government allowed it only if Dish got customer accounts and spectrum to eventually become a new competitor. States sued to stop the deal but lost in court.

Outcome: Merger closed April 2020; behavioral and structural remedies including spectrum and customer transfers to Dish; ongoing compliance reporting.

Qualcomm makes modem chips that connect phones to cell networks and holds many essential patents. The FTC said Qualcomm bullied phone makers with a 'no license, no chips' rule and exclusive deals with Apple. A trial judge agreed, but an appeals court reversed—holding that US antitrust law did not require Qualcomm to help competitors. Qualcomm won in America even as Europe fined it separately.

Outcome: District court initially found liability, but the Ninth Circuit reversed, holding the FTC failed to show anticompetitive harm under US law.

An Oklahoma erosion-control company—not a Fortune 100 giant—was convicted of fixing prices on highway-related work worth over $100 million. Public projects paid more for sod and runoff control because rivals stopped competing.

Outcome: August 20, 2026 jury convictions of the company and two individuals; four other individuals previously pleaded guilty; sentencing and final corporate fine TBD (statutory max up to $100 million for the corporation).

Independent people running Amazon storefronts agreed not to undercut each other on DVDs. That is still a criminal cartel. Platform size does not launder seller-to-seller price deals.

Outcome: Guilty pleas beginning with David Camp (July 2021), followed by Morris Sutton, Emmanuel Hourizadeh, Raymond Nouvahian and related charging; sentences per individual dockets.

A popular children’s learning startup settled with the FTC for $10 million over subscription traps: promising easy cancel, then making parents fight through dark-pattern mazes. Growth-stage apps face consumer-law risk long before they become Big Tech.

Outcome: September 2020 settlement: $10 million monetary relief plus order requiring clear disclosures, informed consent, and simple cancellation mechanisms under ROSCA / FTC Act theories.

Many websites show Google search ads through a program called AdSense. Europe said Google used contract fine print to stop those sites from also running ads from Google's rivals. That kept Google dominant in brokering search ads for publishers. Google paid a €1.49 billion fine and changed its contracts.

Outcome: €1.49 billion fine in 2019; Google required to remove restrictive clauses from publisher contracts.

When Bayer bought Monsanto, Europe feared too much power over seeds and weed-killers in farmers' hands. Regulators said yes only if Bayer sold large chunks of the combined business to rival BASF—including seed lines and herbicide products.

Outcome: Conditional clearance June 2018; massive asset sales to BASF; merger closed after global remedy package.

Noom’s growth machine—free trials into auto-renew plans—sparked a class action that settled for about $62 million. Even without an FTC caption, subscription startups can face bet-the-company consumer litigation.

Outcome: February 2022 proposed class settlement reported at about $56 million cash plus $6 million in subscription credits; company denied wrongdoing while resolving the case.

Europe said Google used Android—the operating system on most non-Apple phones—as a lever to keep Google Search and its app store everywhere. Phone makers who wanted Google's Play Store had to bundle Search and Chrome too, and Google paid some of them not to pre-install rival search engines. The EU fined Google billions and ordered changes to how Android is licensed.

Outcome: The Commission fined Google €4.34 billion in 2018. The General Court reduced it to about €4.125 billion. On 2 July 2026 the Court of Justice dismissed Google's appeal, so that fine is final.

Qualcomm makes chips that connect phones to cell networks. Europe fined it nearly €1 billion for selling chips below cost to two big customers to crush a smaller rival called Icera. Unlike the US FTC case Qualcomm won, Europe went after predatory pricing. But in 2022 an EU court canceled the fine over procedural mistakes—another reminder that antitrust wins can be reversed.

Outcome: €997 million fine in 2018; General Court annulled in 2022 for procedural errors; Commission considering next steps.

Qualcomm makes modem chips and owns key patents for mobile data standards. Europe fined it in 2018 for deals that kept Apple tied to Qualcomm and hurt rivals. Courts partially upheld and partially overturned pieces on appeal. Licensing fights in the 5G era continue—Qualcomm hasn't been fully cleared, and enforcement threads remain open.

Outcome: 2018 fine partially upheld on appeal with adjustments; follow-on compliance monitoring and private disputes ongoing—no clean all-clear.

Dow and DuPont merged into a giant, then split into three companies—but only after selling crop-science products to FMC because Europe worried about herbicide and insecticide concentration.

Outcome: 2017 conditional clearance; FMC acquired major crop protection assets; DowDuPont later split into Corteva, Dow, and DuPont.

A growing skincare brand allegedly had staff write fake Sephora reviews. The FTC stepped in. For DTC startups, fake social proof is not a growth hack—it is an unfair-practice case.

Outcome: 2019 proposed consent; final FTC order November 2020 prohibiting misrepresentation of reviewer independence and requiring clear disclosure of material connections.

Facebook bought WhatsApp in 2014—two apps billions of people use to message friends. Regulators let the deal through, thinking they were different enough. Later Europe fined Facebook for misleading answers about linking user data between the apps. Many critics now cite the merger as a missed chance to stop big tech from buying future rivals, even though no court unwound the deal.

Outcome: Merger cleared in 2014; EU imposed €110 million fine in 2017 for misleading filing; broader breakup calls did not succeed.

College sports is a huge business, but the NCAA capped what athletes could receive—even for laptops, tutoring, or study abroad. Players sued, calling it price fixing among schools. The Supreme Court agreed the caps broke antitrust law, at least for education-related benefits.

Outcome: 2021 affirmance; education-related benefits uncapped; separate NIL market opened via state laws and NCAA changes; not a full pay-for-play ruling.

In a small English seaside town, estate agents agreed not to undercut a 1.5% commission. Within about a year the arrangement collapsed—but the CMA still fined them hundreds of thousands. Local collusion is not a freebie.

Outcome: 2017 settlement and infringement finding; fines totaling about £372,000 for settling parties; leniency for the first confessor.

Hotels often list rooms on Booking.com—but contract fine print once barred them from offering cheaper prices on their own websites. European regulators said those 'parity' clauses dampened competition and kept room rates higher. Booking.com agreed to loosen the rules so hotels can discount direct bookings, a win for vertical restraints enforcement without breaking up the platform.

Outcome: Series of commitments across France, Italy, Sweden, EU-wide; narrowed parity clauses and increased hotel pricing flexibility.

Michigan paving companies—not oil majors—rigged bids so the ‘losing’ contractor submitted a fake high quote. Customers thought they ran a competitive tender. Federal prosecutors treated it as a felony: multi-million-dollar fines and jail for executives.

Outcome: Multiple guilty pleas; ASI fined $6.5 million (2024); executives sentenced including prison terms and personal fines; investigation yielded over $8.2 million in corporate criminal fines to date.

UPS wanted to buy TNT Express to compete with DHL in Europe. EU regulators said the merger would leave too few express-delivery networks and blocked it. TNT later sold to FedEx instead.

Outcome: Prohibition January 2013; UPS paid break fee; TNT later acquired by FedEx; UPS won damages for Commission procedural mishandling on a separate track.

Aspen Pharma bought old cancer drugs that few companies still made—then jacked up prices and threatened to stop supplying countries that complained. Europe called that abuse of dominance and fined the company.

Outcome: 2018 infringement decision and fine; commitments on pricing and supply stability in some markets.

In 2011 AT&T tried to buy T-Mobile to build a bigger cell network. The US government sued, saying losing T-Mobile as an independent carrier would mean higher phone bills and less innovation. AT&T gave up within months. The case is remembered as a rare successful block of a major wireless merger—though T-Mobile later merged with Sprint in a separate, approved deal.

Outcome: AT&T abandoned the transaction in December 2011 after the DOJ challenge and FCC opposition; T-Mobile remained independent until later approved deals.

Russia's Gazprom supplies much of Eastern Europe's gas. The EU accused it of splitting markets and charging unfair prices. Gazprom avoided a fine by promising to let gas flow more freely across borders and adjust pricing formulas.

Outcome: 2018 commitments decision; Gazprom avoided a fine by offering pricing reforms and free-flow obligations; monitored compliance.

When you buy an iPhone app, are you buying from Apple or from the app developer? The Supreme Court said from Apple—so consumers could sue Apple directly for alleged App Store monopoly markups, sidestepping the Illinois Brick indirect-purchaser problem.

Outcome: 2019 standing victory for consumers at Supreme Court; merits litigation continued; Apple later adjusted policies in some regions under court and regulatory pressure.

A few Connecticut insulation shops carved up hospital and campus jobs, shared bids, and padded prices. Federal prosecutors put an owner in prison and fined the companies. Specialty subcontractors are not ‘too small to prosecute.’

Outcome: Multiple guilty pleas (2020–2022); Langan Insulation fined $150,000 plus restitution; Axion fined about $1 million plus restitution; owner Thomas Langan sentenced to prison.

Europe said Google used its popular search engine like a referee who also plays on one team—pushing Google Shopping results above rival comparison sites. Regulators called that an abuse of dominance and issued a huge fine plus orders to treat rivals more fairly.

Outcome: €2.42B fine; requirement to treat rival services fairly in Shopping results.

American Express told merchants they could not suggest customers use cheaper Visa or Mastercard at checkout. Ohio and other states said that hurt competition. The Supreme Court sided with Amex in a close 5–4 vote, reasoning credit cards are a 'two-sided market' serving both shoppers and stores—and the states had not proved harm overall. The decision makes it harder to challenge similar steering rules in the US.

Outcome: 5–4 Supreme Court decision for Amex (2018); vertical anti-steering rules lawful under challenged two-sided market theory.

Greek driving schools—and their associations—were fined for fixing lesson prices. Learners are ordinary consumers; the firms are classic small businesses. EU-style competition law reaches them too.

Outcome: HCC Decision 571/2013: infringement findings and total fines of about €111,900; recommendations and threat of further sanctions for non-compliance.

Ticketmaster sells most big-concert tickets; Live Nation promotes tours and owns venues. They merged in 2010 with government conditions meant to protect competition. Fans still complain about fees and shortages. In 2024 the US government sued again, saying the combined company illegally monopolizes live events. That new case is active—no final outcome yet.

Outcome: The 2010 consent decree, extended in 2020, ran through 2025. The separate 2024 monopolization case is the live record: the Justice Department proposed a June 2026 settlement still in Tunney Act review, while states that refused the deal took a jury verdict.

Apple wanted to sell e-books on the iPad but didn't like Amazon's low $9.99 bestsellers. Publishers wanted higher prices too. Together they switched to 'agency' pricing where publishers set retail prices—and e-book prices jumped. Courts said that was illegal price fixing.

Outcome: 2013 liability finding after bench trial; injunctions; publisher settlements earlier; Apple paid $450 million consumer settlement after losing appeals.

Drug companies sometimes pay generic rivals to stay off the market—splitting the monopoly profit instead of competing. The FTC sued Endo over delayed generic versions of its Lidoderm pain patch and settled for reforms.

Outcome: 2016 settlement with Endo; related cases against other pharma firms; Supreme Court Actavis framework applied in lower courts.

A commercial flooring contractor pleaded guilty to years of fake competing bids and faced a recommended fine of $1.2–$1.6 million. Mid-market trades learn the hard way that ‘helping’ a rival with a high quote is bid-rigging.

Outcome: August 2021 plea agreement recommending a $1.2–$1.6 million criminal fine; part of a broader Chicago flooring investigation with multiple company and individual pleas.

Big recyclers allegedly agreed to pay less for used car batteries. The losers were mostly small scrapyards and garages. Cartels do not only raise consumer prices—they can crush SME suppliers.

Outcome: February 2017 infringement decision; €68 million in fines; Johnson Controls received full leniency immunity for revealing the cartel.

Four local UK estate agents—not Big Tech, not banks—agreed to keep their sales commissions high. The competition watchdog fined them hundreds of thousands of pounds and used the case to warn every small business: size does not exempt you from cartel law.

Outcome: December 2019 infringement decision; three agents fined £605,519 total; one leniency applicant received immunity; CMA published the case as a small-business compliance lesson.

Currency traders at giant banks used private chat rooms with names like 'Three-way Banana' to swap client secrets and push exchange-rate benchmarks at the daily 'fix.' Europe fined banks heavily. This was part of the broader benchmark-rigging era alongside—but distinct from—the LIBOR interest-rate cases.

Outcome: European Commission and national fines totaling over €1 billion combined with US and UK penalties; individual trader bans; compliance overhauls.

Competing airlines are supposed to set freight prices independently. Investigators found that many instead coordinated fuel and security surcharges on international air cargo—raising costs for businesses shipping goods by air. Executives faced criminal charges, airlines paid large fines, and shippers sued for damages.

Outcome: Guilty pleas, hundreds of millions in fines in the US and EU, executive prosecutions, and follow-on civil litigation by customers.

Every time you tap a Visa or Mastercard, merchants pay fees that often get baked into prices. For years, governments and retailers argued the card networks used rules to keep those fees high and stop stores from pointing you to cheaper ways to pay. The result was a mix of lawsuits, settlements, and EU fee caps—not a breakup of the networks.

Outcome: Major US class settlements, EU interchange caps, and revised network rules; merchant steering and surcharging policies evolved but disputes continue in places.

A local agents’ club and a newspaper agreed—formally and informally—that estate agents should not advertise their fees. That kept price competition quiet. The CMA fined them as its first Chapter I case, including a tiny association that barely turned over any money.

Outcome: May 2015 infringement decision; combined penalties over £735,000 after settlement discounts; association itself fined a nominal amount reflecting tiny turnover.

When Europe opened electricity markets, old monopolies still owned the wires. The EU fined Enel for using control over grids to make life hard for competing power sellers in Italy.

Outcome: 2009–2010 fining decisions in energy sector series; structural unbundling trends accelerated separately.

Bearings are tiny but essential in every car wheel and engine. EU regulators said major suppliers rigged quotes to BMW, Renault, and others for years—adding hidden costs to millions of vehicles.

Outcome: 2014 decision; SKF received leniency reduction; damages actions across Europe.

Every car needs a starter battery. EU regulators said major suppliers swapped pricing information and coordinated quotes to carmakers and auto parts stores for years—adding costs to vehicles and replacements.

Outcome: 2017 decision and fines; leniency reductions; aftermarket and OEM buyers pursued damages.

Nuclear-plant workers' wage case is still open. A September 23, 2026 order only preliminarily settled the NextEra defendants.

Outcome: The NextEra piece is not finally approved. The stay applies to the NextEra defendants, not a judgment ending every claim.

Independent internet providers resold AT&T's DSL lines. They sued, saying AT&T charged them high wholesale rates while undercutting them on retail DSL—squeezing their margins. The Supreme Court said that's not enough unless wholesale or retail pricing alone breaks antitrust law.

Outcome: 2009 decision dismissed squeeze theory when no standalone wholesale or retail violation shown; companion to Trinko skepticism.

The companies making LCD screens for TVs and laptops held secret 'Crystal meetings' to fix prices. Europe fined them €649 million; America jailed executives. Your flat-screen gadgets likely cost more because of it.

Outcome: 2010 EU fines; US prison sentences for executives; civil damages worldwide.

Europe fined Microsoft for bundling Windows Media Player into Windows, saying PC dominance let Microsoft crush rival media software. Microsoft had to offer a stripped-down Windows without the player—though few consumers chose it. The case paired with later EU action over Internet Explorer and helped define how Europe treats software tying.

Outcome: 2004 decision fined Microsoft and ordered a version of Windows without Media Player ('Windows XP N'); later EU browser choice remedy followed in a related strand.

Intel dominated PC chips for years. Europe fined it over a billion euros for rebate deals that allegedly paid computer makers to favor Intel and sideline rival AMD. Intel appealed for more than a decade. In 2022 an EU court threw out the fine, saying regulators did not prove the rebates harmed competition convincingly enough—showing even big fines can unravel on appeal.

Outcome: €1.06 billion fine in 2009; General Court annulled in 2022 on procedural/incentive analysis grounds; Commission may revisit.

America said GE could buy Honeywell. Europe said no—worried GE would bundle jet engines with Honeywell avionics and crush rivals. The deal died, becoming the classic example of US and EU merger regulators disagreeing.

Outcome: Commission prohibition July 2001; deal abandoned; transatlantic regulatory divergence became a policy flashpoint.

High-voltage power cables linking countries and offshore wind farms are multi-million euro projects. EU regulators said cable giants rigged bids for a decade—inflating costs for electricity grids consumers depend on.

Outcome: 2014 fines; leniency applicant received reduction; grid operators pursued damages.

The US government said Microsoft used its control of Windows to crush browser competition—especially Netscape—by bundling Internet Explorer and pressuring PC makers. Courts agreed Microsoft broke competition rules in important ways. The company was not broken up, but it had to change how it treated partners and rivals for years.

Outcome: Liability findings; settlement/consent decree with behavioral remedies (API disclosure, OEM flexibility).

Computer memory chips were briefly a cartel product. Samsung, Infineon, Hynix, and others allegedly swapped pricing plans during the late 1990s tech boom. Europe fined them hundreds of millions; America sent executives to prison.

Outcome: EU fines over €331 million; US criminal pleas and fines; Infineon executives imprisoned in the US.

Europe said Microsoft hoarded the technical secrets that let other companies' servers talk to Windows networks—abusing its dominance. Microsoft fought for years, paid massive fines, and was penalized again for dragging its feet on fixes.

Outcome: 2004 decision fines and disclosure duties; additional €899 million penalty for non-compliance in 2008; later interoperability commitments.

For nearly two decades, Europe's biggest truck makers allegedly ran a price-fixing club. They coordinated list prices and how much extra to charge for meeting emissions rules—costs that ripple through everything moved by road. The EU fined them billions, and fleet owners later sued for damages.

Outcome: Commission infringement decision and fines; Scania settled separately after initial non-participation in the settlement; follow-on damages litigation across Europe.

Can a manufacturer require stores not to discount its products below a set price? For a century Dr. Miles said no—automatically illegal. Leegin changed that: minimum resale prices are judged case-by-case, not banned outright.

Outcome: 2007 Supreme Court 5–4 decision for Leegin; rule-of-reason analysis required; states could still ban RPM under state law.

Must a dominant company help its rivals use its network? After telecom deregulation, competitors sued Verizon for foot-dragging on sharing phone lines. The Supreme Court said antitrust rarely forces companies to assist competitors—especially when sector regulators already set the rules.

Outcome: 2004 unanimous decision rejected broad refusal-to-deal monopolization claims; antitrust skepticism toward compelled assistance to rivals.

In 1997 Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas, combining America's two historic jet makers. Regulators worried the world would end up with only Boeing and Airbus building big passenger planes. The US FTC approved the deal but made Boeing promise firewalls so it would not misuse McDonnell Douglas customer data to hurt competition. The merger went through—creating the duopoly we still see in large airliners.

Outcome: Deal cleared with consent order requiring firewalls, reporting, and non-discrimination commitments; created Boeing–Airbus duopoly structure enduring today.

Before flat screens took over, a handful of companies made the glass tubes inside TVs and monitors. They allegedly met in secret—calling them 'green meetings'—to fix prices for ten years. The EU fined them €1.47 billion.

Outcome: 2012 decision with record cartel fines at the time; appeals largely unsuccessful.

Four companies that install almost every elevator in Europe ran a secret club for years. They split countries, rigged bids on big building projects, and swapped pricing secrets. The EU fined them nearly a billion euros—and building owners later sued.

Outcome: 2007 infringement decision and fines; Kone received leniency reduction as first applicant; multiple national damages actions followed.

Executives from ADM and Japanese chemical companies met in hotel rooms to fix the price of lysine—a feed additive that helps chickens grow. The FBI secretly recorded them. The case put American executives in prison and became the famous 'ADM cartel' story told in books and film.

Outcome: Corporate fines exceeding $100 million; prison sentences for ADM and foreign executives; landmark criminal enforcement and documentary fame.

Citric acid gives sodas and candy their tang. ADM and rivals allegedly fixed its price worldwide in the early 1990s—same corporate culture that produced the lysine scandal. Europe fined them; America had already prosecuted.

Outcome: 2005 EU fines; earlier US guilty pleas including ADM from lysine-era enforcement culture.

Industrial sugar goes into chocolate, soda, and baked goods. EU regulators said major beet sugar processors split up food-company customers for nearly 20 years instead of competing—adding hidden costs to Europe's grocery supply chain.

Outcome: 2014 fines totaling over €280 million; customers included food manufacturers.

Kodak sold copiers in a competitive market but controlled repair parts and service. Independent repair shops sued, saying Kodak monopolized the aftermarket. The Supreme Court agreed customers could be trapped after buying equipment—and allowed the case to proceed.

Outcome: 1992 Supreme Court ruling revived ISO antitrust claims; Kodak later settled; influential market-definition precedent.

Loading oil onto tankers requires specialized rubber hoses—bought in big contracts by Shell, BP, and port operators. Suppliers allegedly ran a global cartel for over 20 years. Europe fined them; America sent executives to prison.

Outcome: 2009 fines; US criminal prosecutions and prison sentences for executives; civil damages.

Syufy ran movie theaters across the West and tried to buy competitors in Las Vegas. The government blocked the deal and later challenged 'clearances'—deals with studios that kept hit movies out of nearby rival theaters.

Outcome: Merger blocked in Las Vegas; later consent addressing clearances; influential local market theater cases.

If a manufacturer price-fixes and a wholesaler passes the overcharge to a retailer who passes it to you, can you sue? Illinois Brick says usually no—only the direct buyer can sue in federal court. It's one of antitrust's most debated procedural rules.

Outcome: 1977 doctrine bars most indirect purchaser federal damages suits; states may authorize pass-on claims under state law.

For decades, one phone company—AT&T's Bell System—owned local lines, long-distance service, and even the phone on your wall. The US government sued, and in 1982 AT&T agreed to split itself up. Local phone companies went one way; AT&T kept long-distance and equipment. That opened the door to competing long-distance carriers and later mobile and internet competition.

Outcome: 1982 settlement led to 1984 divestiture into seven Regional Bell Operating Companies and competitive long-distance entry.

Small grocery chains banded together to buy store-brand products—but also agreed not to compete in each other's territories. The Supreme Court said that geographic split among competitors is classic illegal cartel behavior, cooperative or not.

Outcome: 1972 Supreme Court affirmed per se rule against horizontal territorial allocation; cooperatives must compete where they overlap.

Brunswick bought struggling bowling alleys and charged lower prices. Rival alley owners sued, saying the merger hurt them. The Supreme Court said antitrust protects competition, not competitors—lower prices for bowlers aren't an antitrust injury to rivals.

Outcome: 1977 Supreme Court reversed damages award; clarified antitrust injury requires harm to competition, not competitors alone.

Old Hollywood studios made movies and owned theaters, forcing independents to buy bundles of films sight-unseen. The Supreme Court broke up that system in 1948—studios sold their cinemas and block booking ended. The rules lasted until 2020 when DOJ said streaming made them obsolete.

Outcome: 1948 consent decrees; studio divestiture of exhibition; block booking banned; decrees terminated 2020 with DOJ review.

Alcoa invented the American aluminum industry—and controlled almost all of it for decades. Judge Learned Hand's famous 1945 opinion said keeping 90% market share by expanding faster than demand could be illegal monopolization, even if you never did anything 'evil.'

Outcome: 1945 liability finding for monopolization; subsequent remedy phase did not dismantle Alcoa; Reynolds and Kaiser emerged as competitors over time.

A drug company tried to control what pharmacies charged for its medicines. The Supreme Court said manufacturers cannot agree with stores to set minimum prices—that was automatic illegal price fixing until Leegin changed the rule in 2007.

Outcome: 1911 per se ban on vertical minimum RPM; dominated US law for nearly a century.

Before health warnings dominated tobacco politics, antitrust broke up the cigarette trust. American Tobacco had swallowed competitors to control the new mass-market cigarette industry. The Supreme Court ordered it split—like Standard Oil in the same era.

Outcome: 1911 divestiture into independent cigarette companies including predecessors of today's major brands.

Standard Oil controlled most US oil refining in the early 1900s through aggressive deals and railroad rebates. The Supreme Court said that power went too far and ordered the company split into pieces—creating the ancestors of modern giants like ExxonMobil. It is the most famous breakup in American antitrust history.

Outcome: 1911 Supreme Court affirmed breakup; Standard Oil split into regional companies (including predecessors of Exxon and Mobil).

In the 1890s, iron pipe makers agreed not to compete in each other's cities when bidding on water and gas projects. Courts said dividing territories among competitors is illegal cartel behavior—one of America's earliest Sherman Act victories.

Outcome: 1899 condemnation of naked market division; influenced later per se cartel categories.