liberator

Yes, RUSH has bought all the musical instrument companies except
possibly Ibanez. It's simple, any musical instrument business not
committing crimes simply is not owned by RUSH. Geddy Lee is a Jew and
filthy Jew he is at that proven by his companies behaviors in society.
This story really makes me happy, hitting RUSH where they're most
sensitive.
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1236..._whats_news_us

Instrument Industry Settles Pricing Case Article

By JOSEPH PEREIRA and JOHN R. WILKE
The Federal Trade Commission and musical-instrument industry settled a
case in which instrument retailers and manufacturers were accused of
illegally sharing pricing and competitive tactics to discourage
discounting.

Antitrust enforcers said the 9,000-member National Association of
Music Merchants was a forum for the illegal discussions, which
included talk of policies where manufacturers coerced retailers to
charge customers a minimum advertised price.

In its investigation, the FTC found that between 2005 and 2007 NAMM
organized various meetings for retailers to compare notes on
restricting competition and securing higher retail prices. Similar
discussions were held among manufacturers, said William Lanning, the
lead attorney in the case.

The FTC released no names of companies alleged to have met. The
industry trade group, based in Carlsbad, Calif., includes among its
members Fender Musical Instruments Corp., Yamaha Corp., Gibson Musical
Instruments Corp. and retailer Guitar Center Inc. The settlement
doesn't reflect an admission of wrongdoing.

Scott Robertson, spokesman for NAMM, denied that the discussions
ultimately "resulted in higher prices or any injury to consumers."

According to people familiar with the matter, NAMM was issued a
subpoena by the FTC in the spring of 2007 requesting various meeting
minutes and other documents. Numerous companies in the $7.5 billion
musical-instrument business, including Fender, Yamaha, Gibson, Guitar
Center and the Tascam unit of TEAC Corp. were also issued subpoenas,
these people said. The FTC collected sales records, various invoices
and pricing policies, says one person familiar with the investigation.

Representatives for Fender, Gibson and Guitar Center declined to
comment on the FTC investigation when the agency's probe surfaced last
fall. Spokesmen for Yamaha, Guitar Center and Tascam couldn't be
reached immediately for comment on Wednesday.

The FTC probe into the music-instrument industry is continuing.
"Whether further allegations will be brought will be the Commission's
decision," Mr. Lanning said.

As part of the settlement, NAMM has been ordered to appoint an
antitrust lawyer to ensure compliance at meetings and other events and
to read a disclaimer advising participants not to discuss pricing and
their respective minimum-price policies.

The FTC has become more active in pursuing these anti-discounting
policies since a controversial Supreme Court ruling two years ago that
made it more difficult for companies to bring such antitrust suits.

That high court decision in June 2007 reversed a 96-year-old precedent
that banned minimum pricing arrangements between manufacturers and
retailers. The 5-4 ruling said situations should now be considered on
a case-by-case basis -- or rule of reason -- weighing the impact of
pricing policies against free-market principles. The rule of reason
clause raises the bar for legal challenges, legal experts say.