Re: Response from Ted Bergstrom to Ann Okerson

[Karl Bridges <Karl.Bridges@uvm.edu>]

I guess this leads to my next question. If it's a problem to discuss this
in a listserv why are people doing it at conferences and why, if that
happened, did not the publishers in the room complain about it?

Quoting Peter Banks <pbanks@diabetes.org>:

> It definitely is potential restraint of trade--and dicussion of pricing
> on this, or any, list-serve, would be very unwise (most moderators slap
> the hands of those who even hint at discussion of pricing).
>
> Peter Banks
> Acting Vice President for Publications/Publisher
> American Diabetes Association
> Email: pbanks@diabetes.org
>
>>>> karl.bridges@uvm.edu 11/09/05 6:23 PM >>>

> My question is whether this is legal.  First, many libraries do have
> nondisclosure agreements that would prevent them from doing this.
> Second, isn't this something like restraint of trade?  A group of
> businesses (libraries) getting together to collude to decide what prices
> they will accept-- with the idea obviously of lowering prices.
> Personally, I'd hesitate to participate in such an arrangement unless my
> university counsel told me that I wouldn't be running afoul of laws
> about interfering with interstate trade.