Chapter 24
for the
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
Updated and Revised by
Daniel J. Bennett, Esq.
Dan Krockmalnic, Esq.
Emily J. Derr, Esq.
David A. Young, Esq.
Ropes & Gray LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
The Section of Antitrust Law thanks William Matlack, Assistant Attorney General,
Chief, Antitrust Division, Public Protection Bureau, Massachusetts Attorney
General’s Office, for his review of this chapter.*
The Section gratefully acknowledges Neil P. Motenko, Esq., Kathryn K. Conde,
Esq., and Sarah P. Kelly, Esq. for their work on this chapter in prior editions.
∗
Mr. Matlack’s review represents his own opinions and legal conclusions and not n ecessarily
those of the Office of the Attorney General. Opinions of the Attorney General are formal
documents rendered pursuant to specific statutory authority
Massachusetts 24-iii
CONTENTS
1.
Introduction ................................................................................................... 1
1.a.
Overview ........................................................................................... 1
1.c.
History ............................................................................................... 2
1.d.
Relation to Federal Law .................................................................... 2
1.e.
Enforcement ...................................................................................... 3
2.
The Per Se Rule and the Rule of Reason ....................................................... 4
3.
Horizontal Agreements Other Than Group Boycotts .................................... 5
3.a.
Price Fixing ....................................................................................... 5
3.b.
Market Allocation ............................................................................. 6
3.c.
Customer Allocation ......................................................................... 6
3.d.
Bid Rigging ....................................................................................... 6
3.e.
Covenants Not to Compete ............................................................... 7
4.
Group Boycotts .............................................................................................. 7
4.a.
Concerted Refusals to Deal ............................................................... 7
4.b.
Expulsion or Exclusion from Membership in Trade
Associations or Other Groups ........................................................... 8
5.
Resale Price Maintenance .............................................................................. 8
5.a.
Generally ........................................................................................... 8
5.b.
Monsanto Rule .................................................................................. 9
5.c.
Impact of Leegin ............................................................................... 9
6.
Nonprice Vertical Restraints–Intrabrand ..................................................... 10
7.
Nonprice Vertical Restraints–Interbrand ..................................................... 11
8.
Tying Arrangements .................................................................................... 12
9.
Dual Distribution ......................................................................................... 12
10.
Intracorporate Conspiracy............................................................................ 12
11.
Monopolization ............................................................................................ 13
12.
Mergers ........................................................................................................ 15
13.
Discrimination & Other Single Firm Pricing Regulation ............................ 17
13.a.
Price Discrimination ....................................................................... 17
13.a.10.
Sales Below Cost and Loss Leaders............................ 17
13.c.
Specific Industry Rules ................................................................... 18
14.
Exemptions and Defenses to Antitrust Liability .......................................... 19
14.a.
Statutory Exemptions and Defenses ................................................ 19
14.a.1.
State Action ................................................................. 19
14.a.2.
Contribution ................................................................ 21
14.a.4.
Statute of Limitations .................................................. 21
14.a.23.
Miscellaneous ............................................................. 21
14.b.
Nonstatutory Exemptions and Defenses ......................................... 21
14.b.2.
Noerr-Pennington Doctrine ........................................ 21
14.b.8.
Standing ...................................................................... 22
14.b.9.
Indirect Purchasers ...................................................... 22
15.
Government Enforcement ............................................................................ 23
15.a.
Criminal .......................................................................................... 23
15.b.
Quasi-Criminal (Civil Penalties) ..................................................... 23
