American Needle vs. NFL

saden1

You can, you just go through their prefered partner, DirectTV, who happens to pay them billions.

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CRedskinsRule

US high court--NFL sports apparel suit can proceed | Reuters
Sounds like American Needle won.

WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday, in a dispute over an exclusive licensing deal for sports merchandise, that a lawsuit against the National Football League under federal antitrust law can go forward.

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In a unanimous decision in the closely watched sports law case, the justices overturned a ruling by a U.S. appeals court in Chicago that had thrown out the lawsuit against the league over its deal on the sale of NFL-branded items like caps and other apparel.

The high court's ruling was a victory for American Needle Inc, a clothing manufacturer in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, which argued that the NFL and its 32 teams can be sued under the antitrust laws for signing an exclusive licensing deal with Reebok International in 2001.

"We conclude that the NFL's licensing activities constitute concerted action that is not categorically beyond the coverage of" federal antitrust law, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in the court's opinion. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

jgalecpa

No kidding.

I thought sure of the people who were sure the NFL would win were getting ahead of themselves.

When Dan Snyder bought in, he bought "The Redskins', and to think he was buying a share of the NFL as a whole seemed a little beyond the pale.

Think the justices got this one right, and it opens a can of worms for other areas, not just hat manufacturers.

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CRedskinsRule

NFL statement on today’s American Needle decision:

“In today’s decision, the Supreme Court recognized that ‘special characteristics’ of professional sports leagues, including the need for competitive balance, ‘may well justify’ business decisions that among independent competitors would otherwise be unlawful. The court noted that the NFL teams’ shared interest in making the league successful and cooperating to produce NFL football provide ‘a perfectly sensible justification for making a host of collective decisions.’ The decision will simply result in American Needle’s claim being sent back to the federal district court in Chicago, where the case will resume in its early stages. We remain confident we will ultimately prevail because the league decision about how best to promote the NFL was reasonable, pro-competitive, and entirely lawful. The Supreme Court’s decision has no bearing on collective bargaining, which is governed by labor law.”
nfllabor.com

Lotus

Good job, CRed. Thank you for the update. I've been wondering what has been going on with this case.

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GusFrerotte

Well the Justices gave the owners the finger so it will be business as usualy probably. IF the owners raise the prices anymore they would lose out with the fans for sure.

redskins121684

One thing that might arise out of this is the eclusivity agreement with the NFL and the networks that broadcast the games being considered an antitrust violation. If the Supreme Court is saying that they in effect are 32 competing businesses operating on a competitive basis then what of the DirecTV agreement and the agreements with FOX, NBC, and CBS not to mention NFL Network. The league can't hide behind the Clayton Act exemptions to hand out uniform TV contracts anymore. We could actually see teams selling broadcast rights to the highest bidder individually, that would be awsome because then maybe we see the Skins game and have others available on off networks like versus or comcast or masn, the DirecTV sunday ticket may no longer be necessary.