A lawsuit claiming antitrust violations by Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI), the biggest U.S. satellite- radio broadcaster, may go forward as a class action, a federal judge ruled.
U.S. District Judge Harold Baer in Manhattan allowed the antitrust claims to proceed while dismissing claims filed under 20 state consumer-protection laws. In a separate order today, Baer said the case may go forward on behalf of a nationwide group of Sirius XM subscribers.
In a complaint filed in 2009, the subscribers claimed that New York-based Sirius XM, the product of a 2008 merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Holdings Inc., abused its monopoly power by illegally raising prices by almost 30 percent. The suit targets so-called music royalty fees that Sirius charges in addition to subscription fees.
Carl Blessing filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and other subscribers. It seeks unspecified damages, which may be tripled under antitrust law.