By Ryan Tracy

WASHINGTON -- District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com Inc., alleging the company illegally controls online retail prices to stamp out competition.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., Superior Court, targets "most favored nation" clauses Amazon has imposed on sellers on its online marketplaces. The clauses prevent Amazon sellers from offering lower prices on other websites, including their own, Mr. Racine said.

Amazon had no immediate comment.

Mr. Racine told reporters Tuesday that Amazon in recent years replaced older policies with new ones that make sellers "agree to be sanctioned or removed from Amazon altogether if they offer their products for lower prices or under better terms on a competing online platform. We think that change is a distinction without a difference."

Write to Ryan Tracy at ryan.tracy@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-25-21 1227ET