Association. Filed an antitrust lawsuit against major book publishers. The retailers allege that these publishers regularly favor giant chain stores with secret discounts and promotional deals that are not made available to smaller bookstores.
Discriminatory price differentials can take a variety of forms, some of which can be quite subtle. The classic case of the Simplicity Pattern Company illustrates just how subtle such price discrimination can be. The Federal Trade Commission charged the Simplicity Pattern Company with violating section 2e of the Robinson-Patman Act.