Subscribe to the IP Headline RSS feed | Subscribe to the IP Headline feed via EmailSupreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on NFL’s Antitrust Liability in Merchandise Licensing
January 22, 2010 in Patent Trademark & Copyright Journal · Leave a Comment
The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 13 heard oral arguments on whether liability under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. §1, accrues to a licensing agreement between the National Football League and Reebok International Ltd., or whether the NFL teams are best described as a single source of economic power, exempt from antitrust scrutiny, when promoting NFL football through licensing the teams’ intellectual property (American Needle Inc. v. National Football League, U.S., No. 08-661, argued, 1/13/09).
Challenged Conduct
In 2000, the NFL member teams and Reebok International Ltd. entered into an agreement under which the teams promised…
