In competition law, a group boycott is a type of secondary boycott in which two or more competitors in a relevant market refuse to conduct business with a firm unless the firm agrees to cease doing business with an actual or potential competitor of the firms conducting the boycott.1 It is a form of refusal to deal, and can be a method of shutting a competitor out of a market, or preventing entry of a new firm into a market.
In the United States, such conduct can be held to violate the Sherman Antitrust Act. Depending upon the nature of the boycott, the courts may apply the rule of reason, a quick look analysis, or hold that the boycott is illegal per se. There is a presumption in favor of a rule of reason standard.23 It may also be considered a form of civil conspiracy.
See also
See also
- Freedom of association – Right to collective action
- Primary boycott – Voluntary abstention from using a product or servicePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
- Refusal to deal – Potentially unlawful anti-competitive practice
- Secondary boycott – Action in support of another disputantPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
References
References
- Black's Law Dictionary, 7th ed. 1999
- Craftsmen Limousine, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co., vol. 363, May 5, 2004, p. 772, retrieved 2019-01-14,
The United States Supreme Court has set forth three methods for analyzing the reasonableness of a restraint on trade: rule of reason analysis, per se analysis, and quick look analysis. The rule of reason is the 'prevailing standard'...
- Gurnick, David (1 Sep 2011). Distribution Law of the United States. Juris Publishing, Inc. p. 136-137.