Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Justice Department Monday said it would prosecute its first e-commerce antitrust case under the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits collusion on prices, among other anti-competitive activities.

• David Topkins, who was selling posters through Amazon’s Marketplace, wrote code to coordinate price changes with other poster sellers on the site. The charge against him could bring a maximum 10-year prison term and $1 million fine.

• Amazon hasn’t been charged and hasn't commented on the case.

Dive Insight:

It’s hard to know if the poster seller knew that his idea was a significant antitrust violation. In any case, the Justice Department has demonstrated that the world of eBay and other marketplace sellers —​ which are heavily populated by less-than-professional hawkers of all kinds of goods —​ with sometimes dubious origins and hazy product photos —​ will not escape its scrutiny.