MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD, ET AL. v. ZENITH RADIO CORP. ET AL., 475 U.S. 574

Summary

Respondents, domestic electronics companies, brought an antitrust conspiracy suit against petitioners, Japanese electronics companies. Respondents claimed that petitioners conspired to depress prices in the American market in order to drive out American competitors. The district court granted summary judgment for petitioners, but the appellate court reversed based on its finding of direct evidence of concert of action. The Court granted certiorari to determine whether the court of appeals applied the proper standard in evaluating the summary judgment decision. The Court concluded that the court of appeals erred in two respects: First, the direct evidence on which the court of appeals relied had little, if any, relevance to the alleged predatory pricing conspiracy. Second, the court of appeals failed to consider the absence of a plausible motive to engage in predatory pricing. The decision was reversed and remanded for the court of appeals to consider any evidence that petitioners ...