American Needle Inc. v. NFL

"* American Needle Inc. v. NFL, et al.: In 2000, the National Football League formed an exclusive partnership with Reebok that made the Canton (Mass.)-based company the sole producer of official NFL uniforms and merchandise. Prior to this agreement, American Needle, a sports equipment manufacturer, had individual deals with several NFL teams, which were nullified by the Reebok deal for exclusive rights. American Needle sued, claiming the NFL violated anti-trust laws, but the NFL claimed that it could act as a single entity along with its individual teams. The decision will help make clear what constitutes a single entity and what does not. That could have major anti-trust implications not only in the sports world, but for any group of businesses claiming to act as a single entity."

-