http://competition.law360.com/ The Newswire for Legal Professionals Copyright 2009 Portfolio Media, Inc. en-US http://competition.law360.com/images/headings/logo.gif http://competition.law360.com/ http://competition.law360.com/articles/135566 JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the first defendant to reach a settlement in a class action accusing it and other credit card companies of conspiring to force cardholders into arbitration to settle disputes, according to representatives for the plaintiff. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135566 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135385 The European Commission on Friday extended the deadline for its review of Oracle Corp.'s proposed $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc. by six business days, based on a request by Oracle for time to work on its response to the regulator's concerns about the anti-competitive effects of the deal on the database technology market. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135385 http://competition.law360.com/articles/134494 A federal judge has reserved his ruling on Honeywell International Inc.’s bid to dismiss bid-rigging allegations brought by its former distributor Integrated Systems and Power Inc. after hearing the parties’ arguments on Friday over competition in the fire-detection and alarm system market in New York City. http://competition.law360.com/articles/134494 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135383 The highest court in West Virginia has overturned a $4.2 million jury verdict against Erie Indemnity Co., ruling that the decision by Erie and its subsidiaries to terminate a contract with Princeton Insurance Agency did not constitute restraint of trade under the Sherman Act. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135383 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135323 Trailer Bridge Inc. has accused Illinois National Insurance Co. of failing in its duty to defend the company in multidistrict litigation that alleges a conspiracy among shipping firms to eliminate competition in the market for freight services between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135323 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135145 IPhone buyers who claim Apple Inc. and AT&T Mobility LLC violated antitrust laws by monopolizing the aftermarket for iPhone voice and data services have asked a federal judge to make Apple fork over iPhone source code. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135145 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135105 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC has lashed out at Redbox Automated Retail LLC's bid to keep its copyright and antitrust allegations in the Delaware court that is currently hearing Redbox's suits against two other studios, saying Redbox can't connect the dots between its allegations and the Delaware jurisdiction. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135105 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135277 A New York state Supreme Court judge has dismissed criminal indictments against two former Marsh Inc. executives and a former Zurich American Insurance Co. executive accused of participating in a massive bid-rigging and price-fixing scheme. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135277 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135245 Following reports of the U.S. Department of Justice's qualms over the proposed $2.5 billion merger of Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. and Live Nation Inc., several industry and consumer groups on Thursday attacked the deal as a "disaster" for ticket buyers, warning that suggested remedies would do little to improve the situation. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135245 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135306 Alcoa Inc. has put smelting operations at two Italian aluminum plants on hold following a European Commission ruling that preferential electricity tariffs the company has received from Italy since 2006 violate European Union state aid rules and must be reimbursed. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135306 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135135 A New Jersey state appeals court has reversed a ruling barring American International Group Inc. from compelling arbitration in an insurance contract dispute alleging bid-rigging from EPIX Holdings Corp., holding that AIG, while not a party to the contract, has standing to enforce its terms as parent company to one of the contractual parties. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135135 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135168 The European Commission has formally objected to Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC's required licensing fees for its securities identification numbers, bringing to light the first public results of an investigation the antitrust regulator kicked off in January. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135168 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135185 The head of the European Commission's pharmaceutical task force reportedly told drug companies Thursday of plans to ask for details on patent deals with generic-drug makers that are suspected of delaying the entry of cheaper drugs into the market. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135185 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135162 The European Union's antitrust watchdog has given its blessing to Avaya Inc.'s proposed $915 million purchase of bankrupt Nortel Networks Corp.'s enterprise solutions business, following in the footsteps of the Federal Trade Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135162 http://competition.law360.com/articles/134897 A group of consumers is hoping to get a breach of contract and antitrust class action certified against American Home Mortgage Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. and Wells Fargo Bank over securitized adjustable rate mortgages. http://competition.law360.com/articles/134897 http://competition.law360.com/articles/135062 Leading Democrats in the House of Representatives have asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to study trends in prescription drug prices, saying drug companies may be inflating prices in anticipation of health care reforms intended to drive prices down. http://competition.law360.com/articles/135062 http://competition.law360.com/articles/134923 BP America Inc., ConocoPhillips Co., Shell Exploration & Production Co. and other energy companies have told a federal judge that there is no reason for them to be targeted in a putative class action brought by employment drug screening firms alleging that DrugTest Inc. snuffed out competition for oil and gas industry clients. http://competition.law360.com/articles/134923 http://competition.law360.com/articles/134893 The European Commission signed off on restructuring plans for KBC Group, ING Groep NV and Lloyds Banking Group on Wednesday, providing antitrust clearance for proposals calling for the banks to make significant divestitures and exit the riskier financial markets that contributed to the financial crisis. http://competition.law360.com/articles/134893 http://competition.law360.com/articles/134969 The federal antitrust waiting period for Xerox Corp.’s proposed acquisition of outsourcing firm Affiliated Computer Services Inc. has expired, moving the $6.4 billion deal one step closer to completion. http://competition.law360.com/articles/134969 http://competition.law360.com/articles/134913 Bowing to pressure from U.S. antitrust regulators, oil drilling and refining services provider Cameron International Corp. has agreed to divest a portion of its petroleum desalting business in connection with its nearly $1 billion acquisition of competitor Natco Group., allowing the deal to close. http://competition.law360.com/articles/134913