Gibson Guitar, others accused of price-fixing

“Gibson Guitar Corp. is embroiled in a series of lawsuits accusing the Nashville manufacturer and various other organizations of rigging prices across the country.”

“Gibson is a defendant in at least five lawsuits filed in California and Washington D.C., part of a spate of legal action dating back to last year that targets industry groups, according to court records.

“The suits, listed under various defendants who bought guitars in recent years, allege that the National Association of Music Merchants, an industry group, held discussions at meetings of manufacturers and retailers encouraging cooperation among competitors to artificially boost prices. Plaintiffs’ attorneys say that’s a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.”

“The industry association, however, denies violating the Sherman Act or other laws, according to attorney Paul Cuomo of the Washington D.C. law firm Howrey LLP. He said the association was unable to comment further because of the pending litigation, including on whether it hosted discussions as described in the lawsuits.”

“Statements by the association since September, however, have said the suits are without merit and contain misinformation about the association and its members.”