Interesting story that could have broader signficance on issues such as
ecommerce patents.
Jamie
October 10, 2000
Supreme Ct Seeks Clinton Admin Views On Antitrust
Case
By SCOTT RITTER
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court asked the Clinton administration to
weigh in on a case involving Xerox Corp. (XRX).
The appeal asks the high court to decide whether a company can sometimes
use its patents and copyrights to claim immunity to federal antitrust
laws.
The case comes to the justices from a company called CSU LLC, which in
1984 began servicing Xerox photocopiers and printers in Kansas City. CSU
claimed Xerox refused to sell replacement parts and diagnostic software
in a bid to monopolize the copier-service market.
But a federal appeals court here this spring sided with Xerox,
concluding that the company didn't have to sell its patented parts and
copyrighted software to CSU and "did not violate antitrust laws by
refusing to do so."
[snip]
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James Love mailto:love@cptech.org http://www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology, P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 1.202.387.8030 fax 1.202.234.5176