Members of the Online Merchants Guild (OMG) have expressed concern about recent statements made by Amazon in response to pending antitrust legislation. Importantly, much of what Amazon has said about these bills is self-serving. Amazon may have led you to believe that these bills threaten the viability of the platform’s FBA services thereby jeopardizing the competitiveness of its thriving third-party marketplace businesses as well as the hundreds of thousands of competing, small businesses across the nation. But the legislation doesn’t say that — Amazon does. Amazon is scared of the accountability that they are facing, you don’t have to be.
OMG is disappointed – but not surprised – at the alarming tone of Amazon’s communications, which, as intended, sent an immediate chill throughout the online community. Please note: This tactic exemplifies exactly the monopolistic market control these types of legislative reforms hope to mitigate or, hopefully, abolish completely. Once again, to be clear. The email you may have received from Amazon purporting to protect your interest as a competing on-line business illustrates the type of manipulative, marketplace behavior that OMG hopes will be eliminated by the pending antitrust legislation.
OMG understands why Amazon contacted you about this pending legislation as it watches its control of the marketplace diminish. We look forward to working with Amazon and all other stakeholders to ensure that any resulting legislation or other regulatory reform appropriately protects the interests not only of the platforms, brand owners and marketplaces, but also the rights and remedies of independent small business owners, their employees and consumers.
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