The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that consumers challenging the sale of cable and satellite television channels in bundled, multi-channel packages rather than individually did not state an antitrust claim. A district court issued an order setting forth parameters for prospective bundling and tying practices by publishers of Sunday newspaper advertising inserts.
Other recent antitrust developments of note included a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that a hospital could not bring tying claims against a drug-maker because the hospital bought the pharmaceuticals from an independent wholesaler rather than directly from the defending manufacturer and a ruling by a divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit that a district court was not authorized to enjoin the NFL’s lockout.
Bundling TV Channels
