Microsoft Seeks Dismissal of Gamers’ Antitrust Claims Over Valve Deal | PYMNTS.com

Microsoft made the argument in a motion to dismiss filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, according to reporting by Bloomberg Law. The publication reported that the plaintiffs accuse Microsoft of accepting payments from Valve in connection with an alleged agreement to match prices for games offered through the companies’ competing digital storefronts.

The dispute centers on how the relationship between Microsoft and Valve should be viewed under federal antitrust law. The gamers contend that the conduct amounts to a horizontal price-fixing arrangement, which can face particularly stringent treatment under the Sherman Act….