MasterCard, Visa Resolve Antitrust Charges with Department of Justice; American Express Will Contest Attack on Merchant Rules

MasterCard and Visa will resolve antitrust charges in a Justice Department complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the…

BNA INSIGHTS: Dodd-Frank Act May Complicate Antitrust Review of Acquisitions

With the exception of systemic risk considerations, the recently enacted financial reform legislation leaves intact the current antitrust review process for bank mergers…

National Football League’s Exclusive Licensing is Concerted Action under Antitrust Law

The National Football League’s licensing of its teams’ logos and trademarks constitutes concerted action that is not categorically beyond Section 1 Sherman Act liability, and the legality of…

Drug Industry Anticipates More Work Ahead Following Health Care Reform Bill’s Final Passage

While praising individual provisions of the final health care overhaul bill, pharmaceutical industry groups said that the legislation the House approved March 21 is an imperfect measure, and they will continue to work on issues such as pay-for-delay patent settlements and generic competition with biologic drugs.

Health Care Reform Legislation Lacks Proposed Ban on Drug Patent Settlements

The $940 billion health care measure passed March 21 by the House does not include a ban on so-called pay-for-delay patent case settlements between branded and generic drug companies. The Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872) now moves to the Senate.

ANALYSIS: The Basics of Music Licensing in Digital Media

Businesses that are involved in digital media use music in many ways—and most require some sort of license to make the use legal. Whether the music is used in an advertisement or a music video, on…

Justice Department’s Antitrust Division Calls for Putting Brakes on Proposed Google Book Search Settlement

Certain provisions of a proposed settlement of a dispute between Google Inc. and associations of authors and publishers “exceed the proper bounds of a class action settlement,” according to…

Antitrust Claims Challenging Internet Music Sales May Proceed to Trial, Second Circuit Rules

Allegations that four of the nation’s major music labels colluded to fix prices on internet music sales may proceed to the merits, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit…

Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on NFL’s Antitrust Liability in Merchandise Licensing

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…