Amazon has been staunchly opposed to the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and has urged its sellers to contact their senators because the legislation would hurt the sellers’ ability to sell on its marketplace. In a post on Amazon’s forum for third-party merchants, Amazon Vice President of Worldwide Selling Partner Services Dharmesh Mehta said the bill would harm sellers’ businesses, American consumers, and Amazon. Mehta writes “together, small businesses and Amazon have created one of the greatest partnership stories in the history of retail, and we want to be able to continue this amazing partnership for many years to come.”
Many sellers weren’t buying Amazon’s argument, and responded to the post saying they would support the legislation, with one seller writing, “Oh no, you mean the senate is going to break up the Amazon monopoly? And I’m going to be able to sell on my own website again? Like back in the days before Amazon ate the online world? How horrible.” Here are several opinion pieces we found of interest regarding Amazon’s lobby attempts.
Amazon Sellers Blast Company for ‘Moron’ Treatment in Antitrust Fight
In an opinion piece for New York Post, “Amazon sellers blast company for ‘moron’ treatment in antitrust fight,” Theo Wayt, technology reporter for NY Post, shares how Amazon is trying to enlist third-party sellers in its fight against an antitrust bill, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which many of the sellers support. In a post on Amazon’s forum for third-party merchants who sell goods through the site, Amazon Vice President of Worldwide Selling Partner Services Dharmesh Mehta urged sellers to write to their senators to oppose the bipartisan bill. Most of the sellers responding on the forum said they support the bill and were upset that Mehta was trying to rally them against it.
Amazon and other Big Tech companies have lobbied heavily against the bill, spending millions of dollars in television ad campaigns and sponsored content in publications such as the Graham family’s Foreign Policy magazine. Read the full article on New York Post.
Amazon Sellers Reject Efforts by an Executive to Rally Their Opposition to Big Tech Antitrust Bill
In an opinion piece for CNBC, “Amazon sellers reject efforts by an executive to rally their opposition to Big Tech antitrust bill,” Technology Reporter for CNBC Annie Palmer reports that Amazon is so concerned about the American Innovation and Choice Online Act that Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide selling partner services, published a post in the Amazon Seller Central Forum encouraging merchants to contact their local senator to oppose the legislation. Many sellers responded saying they intend to support the legislation, which seeks to overhaul U.S. antitrust laws and reel in the power of Big Tech.
Amazon has staunchly opposed the bill, which would bar it and other tech companies from giving preferential treatment to their own businesses on their platforms. Amazon has emailed sellers and even created a website to brief them on the legislation and warn them of its potential to harm their businesses. Read the full article on CNBC.
Disclosure: Fatty Fish is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
The Fatty Fish Editorial Team includes a diverse group of industry analysts, researchers, and advisors who spend most of their days diving into the most important topics impacting the future of the technology sector. Our team focuses on the potential impact of tech-related IP policy, legislation, regulation, and litigation, along with critical global and geostrategic trends — and delivers content that makes it easier for journalists, lobbyists, and policy makers to understand these issues.
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