Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1984

Abstract

In GTE Sylvania, the Supreme Court acknowledged what a group of law and economics scholars had been arguing for the previous two decades: vertical restrictions that limit intrabrand competition can have a desirable effect on interbrand competition. The Court approvingly accepted the argument that the free rider problem might justify a manufacturer's use of vertical restrictions. The argument, in its simplest form, is that if a retailer provides services such as advice and demonstrations to consumers, a consumer could make use of the service and then buy the product from a "no- frills" retailer. If the manufacturer cannot control the free riding proclivities of other retailers, no retailer would find it in his interest to provide the consumer services. Vertical restrictions shield a retailer from free riding and make provision of the services profitable.

Disciplines

Law | Law and Economics

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