Amazon Japan raided over alleged anti-monopoly violation

Tokyo: Amazon Japan s offices were raided by authorities Tuesday over an alleged anti monopoly law violation, a source said, with the e commerce giant...

Tokyo: Amazon Japan's offices were raided by authorities Tuesday over an alleged anti-monopoly law violation, a source said, with the e-commerce giant accused of abusing its industry dominance to drive down prices.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-site inspection of Amazon's Japanese subsidiary in Tokyo, reportedly its third probe into the company over domineering behaviour.

This time, the focus was on what is known as the "buy box" -- a coveted spot on the Amazon.co.jp website that allows products to be featured prominently.

Competition for the spot is intense, with sellers offering the same product treating it like a "matter of life and death", the source, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

"We've been told that whether they can secure the 'buy box' makes a huge difference in terms of sales," he said.