Are antitrust laws relevant to ALA?
Yes. While ALA may be different from a trade association in the extent of its exposure, antitrust laws are relevant. This is a broad and complex area of the law and there are numerous ways in which associations are impacted. • ALA cannot, for instance, encourage a boycott of a specific vendor, product or service. This does not mean that there cannot be discussion of a specific product, service or vendor at ALA meetings or in ALA publications. But, as relates to antitrust considerations, such discussion may not seek to fix prices, regulate the availability of services or products, encourage unfair practices, encourage non-competition, or encourage boycotts. • To provide another example, under current legal interpretations, ALA-APA may not require ALA membership as a precondition for certification. It could (a) provide preferential pricing for ALA members and (b) require a statement of voluntary compliance with the ALA Code of Professional Ethics. The difference in fee may not be so sign
