Vertical Restraints on Competition

This report addresses the application of United States antitrust - or what other nations commonly refer to as competition - law to agreements between sellers and purchasers of goods and services, when those agreements impact competition. In other words, this report is concerned with vertical, as opposed to horizontal, restraints (horizontal referring to agreements between competitors). This report will proceed in two parts. Part I will provide a broad overview of the relevant statutes, enforcement mechanisms, and approach ofUnited States law to vertical restraints. Part II will discuss how United States law currently applies to specific vertical restraints