July 16 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday

dismissed a proposed class action over Amazon.com's ( AMZN )

decision to begin showing commercials on its Prime Video service

unless subscribers paid a $2.99 monthly opt-out fee.

Subscribers who paid $139 a year for Prime Video said Amazon ( AMZN )

had led them to believe the service would remain ad-free. They

said the ads amounted to a price increase that breached their

subscriber agreements and violated Washington state consumer

protection laws.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein in Seattle

concluded, however, that the ads were a "benefit modification"

specifically contemplated and authorized by Amazon ( AMZN ) and the

subscribers. The change went into effect in January 2024.

Lawyers for the subscribers did not immediately respond to

requests for comment.