JUDGE SIDES WITH BLOCKBUSTER IN L.A. LAWSUIT.Byline: Staff and Wire Services A judge Thursday threw out a lawsuit claiming that video-rental chain Blockbuster Inc. tried to drive mom and pop Mom and Pop An adjective denoting a small-scale and family-like atmosphere, often used to describe these types of businesses and investors. Notes: A mom-and-pop business is typically a small family-run business. video stores out of business, saying that there was no conspiracy, only competition. The Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Superior Court lawsuit was filed in 2001 by about 200 owners of independent video stores. They claimed that because Blockbuster is owned by Viacom, the chain ``has substantial market power and influence with Hollywood studios.'' According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the suit, about 2,500 video stores - some 10 percent of the total - went out of business in 1998 alone. The independent retailers argued that with some 8,500 stores nationwide and studio revenue-sharing deals, Blockbuster could order more copies of new-release movies, the major source of the video-rental industry's income. But Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney said the evidence seemed to show ``permissible per·mis·si·ble adj. Permitted; allowable: permissible tax deductions; permissible behavior in school. per·mis competition (more) than unlawful conspiracy.'' She granted Blockbuster's request for dismissal. Blockbuster showed that the ``revenue-sharing agreements it negotiated with each studio are business-justified ... that they were entered into by parties acting in their own self-interest,'' Chaney said. The suit was similar to a case against Texas-based Blockbuster that a federal judge in that state dismissed last June. ``Two courts have now come to the same conclusion on the merits on the merits adj. referring to a judgment, decision or ruling of a court based upon the facts presented in evidence and the law applied to that evidence. A judge decides a case "on the merits" when he/she bases the decision on the fundamental issues and considers - that Blockbuster competed fairly and honestly,'' Blockbuster General Counsel Edward Stead Edward Stead (aka Edwin Steed) (Maidstone, Kent, 1701 – 28 August 1735 in London) was a famous patron of English, particularly Kent, cricket during its formative years in the early 18th century. said. |
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