The New York Times Quotes Partner William C. MacLeod on Hachette and Amazon Contract Terms Dispute

Partner William C. MacLeod was quoted in The New York Times article Hachette and Amazon Dig In for a Long Fight Over Contract Terms.” The article discusses how a contract dispute between Amazon, a technology company that has single-handedly changed the relationships between readers and their books, and  Hachette, a publisher whose roots stretch back to 1837, has become battle over the distribution of information in the digital age. Mr. MacLeod commented that This situation is rife with antitrust risk” for Amazon. Under U.S. law, even a monopolist can refuse to deal or can charge what the market will bear. But if the activity has the potential to create or entrench market power, a company’s exclusionary conduct or imposition of onerous terms could indeed run afoul of the law.”