MIAMI — A federal judge in Florida has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit against Boats Group, the operator of several major online boating marketplace platforms, ruling that the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege conduct that harmed competition, according to a court order issued this week.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman of the Southern District of Florida dismissed the complaint brought by Brill Maritime, which does business as Export Yacht Sales, on Tuesday, court records show. The lawsuit accused Boats Group of monopolizing the market for online boat-sale listings through acquisitions and contractual practices that allegedly limited competition.
Boats Group operates several widely used boating industry platforms, including YachtWorld, Boat Trader and boats.com. Brill Maritime alleged that the company strengthened its market position through acquisitions and business practices that increased costs for brokers and reduced alternatives for sellers, according to court filings.
In his ruling, Altman said the complaint did not sufficiently show that the acquisitions violated antitrust law or that the company engaged in unlawful conduct that harmed competition. “The mere acquisition of monopoly power isn’t illegal,” the judge wrote, according to the court order cited in media reports.
The judge also rejected claims that contractual provisions prevented brokers from advertising listings on competing platforms. According to the ruling, the provisions cited by the plaintiff addressed how listings were represented and did not bar sellers from using other services. Altman further said the complaint failed to show that the challenged terms harmed consumers or competition.
Brill Maritime sought damages and other relief on behalf of itself and a proposed class of brokers and dealers, according to court documents. The company argued that Boats Group’s market position and pricing practices adversely affected industry participants.
Boats Group welcomed the decision. In a statement released on Tuesday, the company said the court found that the complaint failed to allege anticompetitive conduct and that its market position resulted from lawful business practices and investment in its services.
A lawyer representing Brill Maritime told reporters that the company intends to amend and refile its complaint, a step permitted under the court’s order.
As of Friday, no amended complaint had been publicly filed. The case remains pending, and Brill Maritime retains the opportunity to pursue revised claims in federal court, according to the ruling.
