Court Tosses Antitrust Action Against the NFL

CHICAGO (CN) - The National Football League's contract with Reebok does not violate the Sherman Antitrust Act, the 7th Circuit ruled.

In 2001, the NFL entered an exclusive helmet contract with Reebok after years of using several companies, including American Needle Inc.

Judge Kanne upheld summary judgment for the NFL, stating that American Needle is not entitled to further discovery, because the evidence shows that the league's 32 teams act as a single entity.

"And with that said," Kanne wrote, "American Needle's assertion that the NFL teams have deprived the market of independent sources of economic power unravels."

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