Supreme Court to hear Comcast class-action case

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a case that allowed cable TV subscribers in Philadelphia to file a class-action suit against Comcast.

The court is expected to hear the case in its next term, which begins in October.

The TV customers argued that Comcast violated antitrust law by striking deals with competitors to limit competition. They claimed the company used its dominant market position to charge exorbitant prices.

In 2010, a federal judge granted the customers class-action status, allowing them to file a single suit. But Comcast argued that the customers didn't have enough in common to qualify for the status.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will examine whether a district court can grant class-action status without hearing evidence to justify awarding damages to the class as a whole.

Last August, a federal appeals court sided with the plaintiffs and said the district judge has the discretion to decide whether the plaintiffs will be able to establish a claim for damages. 

Reuters, which first noted that the court had agreed to hear the case, writes that in its 2010-2011 term, the Supreme Court narrowed the ability of plaintiffs to bring class-action suits in separate cases involving AT&T and Wal-Mart.

The customers first sued Comcast in 2003.

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