Caterpillar, Komatsu Must Face Claims They Led Website Boycott

Caterpillar Inc. and Komatsu America Corp. must face part of an antitrust lawsuit claiming they led an illegal group boycott aimed at driving a wedge between a rival and an online sales platform, a District of Delaware judge ruled.

The suit accuses the heavy equipment makers of conspiring with several Caterpillar dealers to prevent IronPlanet, the sales portal, from teaming up with International Construction Products LLC to sell equipment imported from China. ICP filed it in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.

The manufacturers and dealers co-owned an IronPlanet competitor, co-defendant Associated Auction Services LLC, which had ...