Judge Assigns FTC's DirecTV Complaint to Court Program Aimed at Quick Resolutions

Consumer Watchdog hails the FTC’s deceptive advertising lawsuit against DirecTV (see 1503110042) and wants the FCC to require that DirecTV “cease its anti-consumer policies as a condition” of approving AT&T’s buy of it, the California nonprofit said Friday. Consumer Watchdog sued DirecTV on similar allegations in 2008 in a case that’s still pending in a California appellate court. Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, has said the complaint against DirecTV “has nothing to do” with any regulatory “evaluation” of AT&T’s planned buy of DirecTV, “and I have no comment on how it might affect it.” U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James in San Francisco has assigned the FTC’s complaint to the court’s “Alternative Dispute Resolution Multi-Option Program,” her March 12 scheduling order showed. The program's goal “is early, cost-effective and fair resolution of civil cases” through one of several “processes,” including arbitration or a settlement conference with a magistrate judge, the court’s website shows. James’ scheduling order sets a May 21 deadline for ADR process selection, to be followed by a June 11 initial case management conference.