Macy’s goes to court to block Amazon ads from billboards outside flagship store

Macy’s has sued to prevent Amazon from advertising on a prominent billboard outside of the retailer’s flagship New York City store. 

In a lawsuit filed last week in a New York state court, Macy’s said Kaufman Realty, the group that owns the billboard, should not permit a “direct competitor” to advertise and promote itself in a space that has long been associated with Macy’s.

The lawsuit added that the negative impact of the tech-giant’s advertisement “would be immeasurable,” The New York Times reported.

Macy’s has used the billboard to advertise itself for 60 years, according to the Times.

“The damages to Macy’s customer good will, image, reputation and brand should a prominent online retailer (especially Amazon) advertise on the billboard are impossible to calculate,” Macy’s said in the complaint, per the Times.

Macy’s lease agreement with Kaufman expired in August, but the department store claims that Kaufman was in talks with Amazon before that. Macy’s also says in the complaint that the terms of a 1963 agreement that “runs with the land forever” prevent Kaufman from allowing a Macy’s competitor to advertise on the billboard, Crain’s New York reported.

The Hill has reached out to Kaufman Realty and Amazon for comment.