Toshiba Hit With Monopolization Claims by Exonerated Competitor

A California man whose conviction in a printer toner telemarketing scheme was overturned is suing a unit of Toshiba Corp., alleging it monopolized distribution channels for the Japanese company’s branded toner products.

Plaintiff Jonathan Brightman alleges Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. used exclusionary tactics to preserve its monopoly and shut out competitors like himself, which also led to his prosecution, according to a complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Central District of California.

Brightman’s lawsuit comes more than a year after the Ninth Circuit overturned his and five others’ conviction for their role in a ...