The United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, along with several states’ attorneys general have sued Visa, MasterCard, and American Express alleging that the card systems’ rules prohibiting merchants from offering discounts to consumers who use a particular card brand constitute unreasonable vertical agreements in restraint of trade. The Division simultaneously filed a proposed consent […]
Author Archives: Steve Semeraro
Seventh Circuit Upholds Wisconsin Minimum Gas Pricing Regulation
October 5, 2010 – 3:10 pm
The Seventh Circuit overturned an injunction prohibiting Wisconsin from enforcing its minimum gas pricing regulations and remanded with instruction to enter judgment for the state. The plaintiff, Flying J, alleged that the minimum pricing scheme led to a horizontal cartel among gas retailers to raise the price of gas. The trial court sided with Flying […]
Another Guilty Plea in DOJ Air Cargo Cartel Probe
October 1, 2010 – 11:25 am
Update October 2010: Six international freight forwarding companies have agreed to pay criminal fines in the U.S. case totaling $50.3 million. Update July 2010:Northwest Airlines, now part of Delta, has plead guilty and agreed to pay a $38 million fine and assist in the on-going investigation. Delta stressed that the illegal conduct occurred before it […]
Conspiracy to Inflate Auto Insurance Rates Not Exempt From Challenge
September 30, 2010 – 10:44 am
Update September 2010: The Ninth Circuit has denied rehearing. The Ninth Circuit has reversed the dismissal of a putative class action alleging that major auto insurers conspired to use inferior repair parts while telling their customers that they were providing premium repair service that would return cars to “pre-loss” condition. As a result of the conspiracy, […]
Claim that Kitchenaid Monoplized Mixer Attachment Market Dismissed
September 15, 2010 – 4:42 pm
Update September 2010: The court again dismissed the complaint. Although the plaintiff amended the complaint to allege that Kitchenaid sells 80% of stand-up mixers and 90% of the beater attachments for mixers that are sold by the plaintiff, the court held that the complaint failed to identify harm to competition as opposed to harm to […]
EC Investigates Paper Envelope Manufacturers
September 15, 2010 – 9:01 am
The EC has inspected the premises of seven paper envelope manufacturers in Denmark, France, and Spain. The Commission is investigating possible price fixing and customer division agreements. The names of the targets were not released.
Milk Monopolization Case to Move Forward
August 31, 2010 – 4:17 pm
Vermont District Court Judge Christina Reiss refused to dismiss attempted monopolization claims filed by dairy farmers against the Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. and Dean Foods Co. Although questions remained about the product market and whether the statute of limitations was met, the court found the allegations sufficient to move forward. The court did dismiss […]
Class Action Alleges Price Fixing in the Sale of Optical Disc Drives
August 31, 2010 – 3:17 pm
Classes of direct and indirect purchasers have filed suit in the Northern District of California alleging that optical disc drive manufacturers have violated the antitrust laws. The complaint alleges that the defendants agreed to charge higher prices and rig electronic auctions to ensure that the certain price floors were maintained.
DOJ Signs Off on United-Continental Merger
August 31, 2010 – 3:06 pm
The Antitrust Division agreed not to challenge the United-Continental merger when the merging airlines agreed to lease 18 pairs of takeoff and landing slots at Newark Liberty International Airport to discount carrier Southwest Airlines. Aside from the concern about barrier to entry into Newark, which were alleviated by the leasing agreement, the Antitrust Division took […]
EC Investigating Marine Insurance Providers
August 31, 2010 – 2:57 pm
The EC is investigating a network of ship insurers known as the International Group of Proection & Indemnity Clubs exploring concerns about claim-sharing and joint-reinsurance agreements. The EC announced that it would look into whether the organization’s agreements with member insurers restrains competition. The investigation was triggered by the expiration of an exemption applicable to insurance agreement […]