AALL and Antitrust How does antitrust affect AALLs activities?
Some decisions, which may have had the appearance of being based on concern about vendor reaction, have in fact been made on the basis of advice from AALLs legal counsel. As an association, AALL is subject to the principles of federal and state antitrust law (primarily the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibits collective action in restraint of trade). The most significant area of antitrust concern for associations is price-fixing. Price-fixing in the association context is broadly construed to include any concerted effort or action that has an effect on prices, terms or conditions of trade, or on competition. Accordingly, AALL cannot sanction programming, publications, or other communications that may provide the basis for an inference that members agreed to take any action relating to prices, services, production, allocation of markets, boycotts, refusals to deal, or any other matter having a market effect. AALL is responsible for statements made by speakers at our programs and in ar
