Lead Opinion
Opinion by Judge BEEZER; Partial Concurrence and Partial Dissent by Judge GILLMOR.
Plaintiffs-Appellees Image Technical Services, and ten other independent service organizations (“ISOs”) that service Kodak photocopiers and micrographie equipment sued the Eastman Kodak Co. (“Kodak”) for violations of the Sherman Act. The ISOs alleged that Kodak used its monopoly in the market for Kodak photocopier and micrographie parts to create a second monopoly in the equipment service markets. A jury verdict awarded treble damages totaling $71.8 million. The district court denied Kodak’s post trial motions and entered a ten year permanent injunction requiring Kodak to sell “all parts” to ISOs. Kodak filed a timely appeal, challenging the jury’s verdict, the ISOs’ evidence, the jury instructions, the damage awards and the permanent injunction. Kodak also seeks reversal on the basis of an alleged biased juror.
This appeal raises questions relating to the application of antitrust principles upon a finding that a monopolist unilaterally refused to deal with competitors. We also address overlapping patent and copyright issues and their significance in the antitrust context.
We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C § 1291 and we affirm in part, reverse in part and remand with instructions to amend the injunction.
I
Kodak manufactures, sells and services high volume photocopiers and micrographie (or microfilm) equipment. Competition in these markets is strong. In the photocopier market Kodak’s competitors include Xerox, IBM and Canon. Kodak’s competitors in the micrographics market include Minolta, Bell & Howell and 3M. Despite comparable products in these markets, Kodak’s equipment is distinctive. Although Kodak equipment may perform similar functions to that of its competitors, Kodak’s parts are not interchangeable with parts used in other manufacturers’ equipment.
Kodak sells and installs replacement parts for its equipment. Kodak competes with ISOs in these markets. Kodak has ready access to all parts necessary for repair services because it manufactures many of the parts used in its equipment and purchases the remaining necessary parts from independent original-equipment manufacturers. In
As ISOs grew more competitive, Kodak began restricting access to its photocopier and micrographic parts. In 1985, Kodak stopped selling copier parts to ISOs, and in 1986, Kodak halted sales of mierographie parts to ISOs. Additionally, Kodak secured agreements from their contracted original-equipment manufacturers not to sell parts to ISOs. These parts restrictions limited the ISOs’ ability to compete in the service market for Kodak machines. Competition in the service market requires that service providers have ready access to all parts.
Kodak offers annual or multi-year service contracts to its customers. Service providers generally contract with equipment owners through multi-year service contracts. ISOs claim that they were unable to provide similar contracts because they lack a reliable supply of parts. Some ISOs contend that the parts shortage forced them out,of business.
In 1987, the ISOs filed this action against Kodak, seeking damages and injunctive relief for violations of the Sherman Act. The ISOs claimed that Kodak both: (1) unlawfully tied the sale of service for Kodak machines with the sale of parts in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Act, and (2) monopolized or attempted to monopolize the sale of service for Kodak machines in violation of § 2 of the Sherman Act.
Kodak moved for summary judgment prior to discovery. The district court allowed brief discovery and then granted summary judgment in Kodak’s favor. Image Technical Serv., Inc. v. Eastman Kodak Co.,
Kodak appealed to the Supreme Court, which affirmed the denial of summary judgment. The Court held that the record disclosed sufficient factual disputes to survive summary judgment on both the § 1 and § 2 claims. Eastman Kodak Co. v. Image Technical Serv., Inc.,
In the end, of course, Kodak’s arguments may prove to be correct. It may be that its parts, service, and equipment are components of one unified market, or that the equipment market does discipline the aftermarkets so that all three are priced competitively overall, or that any anticompetitive effects of Kodak’s behavior are outweighed by its competitive effects. But we cannot reach these conclusions as a matter of law on a record this sparse.
After remand, the case proceeded to trial in the district court. Before closing arguments, the ISOs withdrew their § 1 tying and conspiracy claims. The remaining § 2 attempted monopolization and monopolization claims were submitted to the jury. A unanimous verdict awarded damages to the ISO’s totaling $71.8 million after trebling.
After accepting the verdict, the district court crafted a ten year injunction requiring Kodak to sell all parts to ISOs on “reasonable and nondiseriminatory terms and prices.” The injunction required Kodak to sell: (1) all parts for Kodak equipment; (2)
II
Section 2 of the Sherman Act prohibits monopolies, attempts to form monopolies, as well as combinations and conspiracies to do so. 15 U.S.C. § 2.
To prevail on a § 2 attempt claim, the ISOs were required to establish: “(1) a specific intent to control prices or destroy competition; (2) predatory or anticompetitive conduct directed at accomplishing that purpose; (3) a dangerous probability of achieving ‘monopoly power,’ and (4) causal antitrust injury.” Rebel Oil Co., Inc. v. Atlantic Richfield, Co.,
Kodak primarily attacks the ISOs’ monopoly claim because success would likely upset the “attempt” verdict as well. We now address Kodak’s appeal against the background of the Supreme Court’s opinion in Kodak and the extensive record developed at trial.
A. Market Power
Kodak first attacks the ISOs’ monopoly power theory and its supporting evidence. Monopoly power is “the power to control prices or exclude competition.” Grinnell,
To demonstrate market power by circumstantial evidence, a plaintiff must: “(1) define the relevant market, (2) show that the defendant owns a dominant share of that market, and (3) show that there are significant barriers to entry and show that existing competitors lack the capacity to increase their output in the short run.” Id. at 1434 (citations omitted). We review these requirements in turn.
1.
We begin with the relevant market determination. The relevant market is the field in which meaningful competition is said to exist. See United States v. Continental Can Co.,
In Kodak, the Supreme Court noted two guiding principles pertinent to the relevant market definition here. First, the Court held that service and parts could constitute separate markets. Kodak,
Kodak disagrees and argues that the district court erred in denying -its renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law, because the ISOs’ “all parts” market theory, upon which the jury relied to define the market, has no support in existing antitrust precedent. We review de novo the district court’s denial of Kodak’s renewed motion of judgment as a matter of law. Acosta v. City & County of San Francisco,
On appeal and in their renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law, Kodak proposes a segmented parts market. It argues that because no two parts are interchangeable, the relevant markets for parts consist of the market for each individual part for Kodak photocopiers and each single part for Kodak micrographics equipment. Under Kodak’s theory there are not two relevant parts markets, but thousands of individual “part” markets. Kodak contends that the ISOs should have been required to demonstrate that they could not obtain particular nonpatented parts and that the failure to obtain that particular part resulted in a Kodak monopoly over service. We reject Kodak’s market definition.
Kodak’s market definition focuses exclusively on the interchangeability of the parts although ignoring the “commercial realities” faced by ISOs and end users. Kodak,
Because service and parts for Kodak equipment are not interchangeable with other manufacturers’ service and parts, the relevant market from the Kodak equipment owner’s perspective is composed of only those companies that service Kodak machines.
Id. The Court also recognized however, that the market definition here could “be determined only after a factual inquiry into the ‘commercial realities’ faced by consumers.” Id. (citing Grinnell,
Kodak argues that service providers’ need for all parts is not pertinent to the relevant market determination. Kodak, citing In re British Oxygen Co.,
Kodak’s argument that the Supreme Court did not squarely address the relevant market issue presented here is well taken. However, nothing in the Kodak opinion indicates that the Court envisaged any relevant market other than “all parts.” The Court analyzed three markets for photocopiers and micrographic equipment: equipment, parts and service. The Court referred to Kodak’s “parts monopoly,”
Other factors compel our acceptance of an “all parts” market. In Brown Shoe Co. v. United States, the Supreme Court teaches that the boundaries of a relevant market:
may be determined by examining such practical indicia as industry or public recognition of the submarket as a separate economic entity, the product’s peculiar characteristics and uses, unique production facilities, distinct customers, distinct prices, sensitivity to price changes, and specialized vendors.
The Supreme Court, relying on Brown Shoe, has held that groups of non-interchangeable products and services may be aggregated to form a single relevant market. See Grinnell,
Kodak argues that the “cluster market” theory is inapplicable because in the market for Kodak parts no single competitor or manufacturer produces all the parts for Kodak photocopiers or micrographic equipment and thus “all parts” is not a relevant market.
Kodak next contends, citing United States v. AT & T,
[i]f aggregating markets leads to the appearance of a causal link between defendants’ anticompetitive conduct and their monopoly power which disappears the moment the markets are treated separately, then clearly the aggregation would be improper.
Id. at 1376 (citing 3 Areeda & Turner, ¶ 627b, 84). The AT & T court did not preclude aggregation of the markets in question because the anticompetitive conduct at issue transcended individual products; the anticompetitive conduct at issue extended to the “whole equipment spectrum.” Id. The district court concluded that “[i]n the interests of avoiding duplicative evidence and useless overburdening of the plaintiff’ it was not necessary to require the plaintiff to prove the defendant’s anticompetitive conduct in relation to “each piece of telecommunications equipment without close substitutes.” Id. Disaggregation is also unnecessary here because Kodak either manufactures or otherwise controls a monopoly share in most of the necessary parts. See Brown Shoe,
Aggregating the individual parts into a single “all parts” market for photocopiers and a single “all parts” market for micro-graphics equipment is also necessary for administrative convenience. Kodak photocopiers and micrographic equipment require thousands of individual parts and a supply of all parts is necessary in order to fulfill service contracts. To require the ISOs to prove that Kodak has monopoly power in thousands of markets would be both unduly burdensome and pointless. See id. at 327,
Last, Kodak suggests that measuring market share in an “all parts” market could prove significantly over or under inclusive. Kodak argues that a firm believed to be monopolist could have a high aggregate share of the market that disguises the availability of alternative sources, or its seemingly small market share could conceal monopoly power over one crucial part. This argument, however, only demonstrates why the Supreme Court in Kodak emphasized the factual nature of the relevant market inquiry.
2.
Next we turn to the second monopoly power element: market share. A plaintiff relying on circumstantial evidence to establish a § 2 monopolization claim must show that the defendant owned a “dominant share” of the market. Rebel Oil,
In Kodak, the Supreme Court stated that Kodak’s possession of monopoly power was “easily resolved.”
Kodak challenges the district court’s market share instruction and the ISOs’ market share evidence. Specifically, Kodak objects to the calculation of its market share by the aggregation of the percentage of parts manufactured by Kodak with the percentage of parts manufactured by original-equipment manufacturers. At trial the ISOs asserted that Kodak controls the entire parts market for its high volume photocopier and micro-graphics equipment by refusing to sell the parts it manufactures, 30% of the total parts needed, and by imposing restrictions on both the independent original-equipment manufacturers and end users. Kodak argues that because the ISOs withdrew their conspiracy claim they are precluded from adding the shares held by the allegedly restricted original-equipment manufacturers to Kodak’s market share.
We need not consider Kodak’s challenge to Jury Instruction No. 27, the controlling instruction, as Kodak failed to object to that instruction and thus did not preserve this argument for appeal. Failure to object to an instruction waives review. Hammer v. Gross,
Among other factors [indicative of monopoly power], you may wish to consider ... whether Kodak restricts, directly or indirectly, the ability of its supplier to sell to others____
Instruction No. 27 allows for the aggregation of Kodak’s market share with the market shares of the restricted original-equipment manufacturers. Kodak also agreed to Instruction No. 26, which required the jury to find a 65% market share in order to find monopoly power.
We review Kodak’s sufficiency of the evidence claim under the controlling instruction. We review a jury’s verdict for substantial evidence. Davis v. Mason County,
Kodak maintains, unpersuasively, that the ISOs failed to prove that parts were absolutely unavailable. According to Kodak, for each ISO that could not get a part, another could, and consequently, the ISO’s anecdotal evidence was insufficient to demonstrate market share. The record proves otherwise. The record contains substantial evidence showing that parts were virtually unavailable for post-1986 models and often difficult to obtain for older models. Kodak itself admitted that the availability of parts was “limited.” That one ISO acquired parts by buying Kodak equipment and stripping them for parts, as Kodak contends, does little to rebut Kodak’s monopoly power in the parts markets. The ISOs were not required to prove that Kodak had total control over .every new and used part.
The record also establishes the following: Alan Conklin, who supervised the acquisition of parts for Kodak’s photocopier and micrographics equipment, testified that Kodak manufactured roughly 30% of its own parts. Kodak argues that other manufacturers also produced substitutes for these parts, but its reference to the record merely shows that original-equipment manufacturers could, if Kodak chose, make almost all of Kodak’s parts. Kodak also acknowledges that suppliers would not sell “proprietary” parts and Conklin testified that all parts which original-equipment manufactures produce for Kodak must meet specifications. The jury could rationally conclude that the oft-used term “proprietary” covered most if not all parts made for Kodak.- ISO owners and employees testified that they could not purchase parts from independent original-equipment manufacturers. Several testified that they could not obtain any parts for post-1986 photocopiers and micrographic equipment. Kodak’s argument that its tooling and engineering clauses were routine and legal is irrelevant. Legal actions, when taken by a monopolist, may give rise to liability if anti-competitive. See Greyhound Computer v. International Business Machines,
Kodak correctly argues that the ISOs never precisely quantified Kodak’s parts market shares. In his closing, counsel for the ISOs based Kodak’s market share on its 30% manufacturing share, its 20% share controlled by tooling clauses and an unquantified share of production which was restricted by engineering clauses. Nonetheless, given the state of the record, a reasonable jury could conclude that Kodak had a share of the markets for photocopier and micrographic equipment parts of 65% or more. Moreover, even if the ISOs only succeeded in proving a share near 50%, this would suffice to support a jury finding of market power for the purposes of the ISOs’ attempted monopolization claim. Rebel Oil,
3.
The third and final monopoly power factor concerns barriers to market entry and barriers to expansion.
Kodak argues that the ISOs failed to prove meaningful entry barriers. The record proves otherwise. Kodak has 220 patents and controls its designs and tools, brand name power and manufacturing capability. Kodak controls original-equipment manufacturers through various contract arrangements. Kodak has consistently maintained a high share of the service market. These factors together with the economies of scale, support a finding of high barriers to entry by new manufacturers and to increased output by established suppliers. See Reazin v. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Inc.,
Kodak fails to rebut this evidence. Kodak focuses on the testimony of an ISO witness who stated: “[y]ou could get in my business tomorrow if you had the expertise.” That witness, however, also identified capital and consumer demand as other significant barriers to market entry. Although some new entry was possible, the record reflects substantial evidence of entry barriers sufficient to prevent Kodak’s monopoly share from self-correcting. See Rebel Oil,
B. Use of Monopoly Power
The second element of a § 2 monopoly claim, the “conduct” element, is the use of monopoly power “to foreclose competition, to gain a competitive advantage, or to destroy a competitor.” Kodak,
Kodak attacks the district court’s monopoly conduct jury instructions as well as the ISOs’ evidence establishing Kodak’s exclusionary conduct. A challenge to a jury instruction on the grounds that it misstates the relevant elements is a question of law reviewed de novo. Caballero v. Concord,
1.
Kodak’s chief complaint with the monopoly power jury instructions lies with Jury
[a] company with monopoly power in a relevant market has no general duty to cooperate with its business rivals and may refuse to deal with them or with their customers if valid business reasons exist for such refusal. It is unlawful, however, for a monopolist to engage in conduct, including refusals to deal, that unnecessarily excludes or handicaps competitors in order to maintain a monopoly.
(emphasis added). Kodak argues that this instruction lacks objective standards and improperly includes within the prohibited activities a lawful monopolist’s “aggressive” competition.
Specifically, Kodak challenges Instruction No. 29’s “unnecessarily excludes or handicaps competitors” language. Kodak says that this language is based on a form of “monopoly leveraging” that we previously rejected in Alaska Airlines, Inc. v. United Airlines, Inc.,
Kodak accuses the district court of incorporating Berkey Photo’s repudiated language into the court’s instructions. We disagree. Instruction No. 29 required the jury to find that Kodak’s monopoly conduct be undertaken “in order to maintain a monopoly” in the downstream market. Berkey Photo ’s watered-down standard does not go this far. Instruction No. 29 makes clear that the monopolies at issue are Kodak’s alleged service monopolies and the Instruction required the jury to find that Kodak acted in furtherance of maintaining its service monopolies. Instruction No. 29’s “unnecessarily excludes or handicaps competitors” language does not come from Berkey Photo, but from the jury instruction endorsed by the Supreme Court in Aspen Skiing Co. v. Aspen Highlands Skiing Corp.,
2.
Kodak also objects to the attempted monopolization and monopolization jury instructions on the grounds that they fail to describe adequately the “essential facilities” doctrine, which Kodak contends is the controlling law in unilateral refusal to deal cases. Kodak asserts that this doctrine is the sole legal theory which could require Kodak to sell “all parts.” Kodak argues that the essential facilities doctrine required the jury to find that Kodak’s parts monopoly carries “the power to eliminate competition.”
Kodak’s challenge raises a novel issue: whether a monopolist is liable under § 2 of the Sherman Act for an anticompetitive refusal to deal only under an “essential facilities” theory, that is, only when the refusal involves something “essential” to the survival of competitors. As noted, Kodak would answer affirmatively; we reject this theory. Instead, relying on Kodak and Aspen Skiing, we endorse the ISOs’ theory that § 2 of the Sherman Act prohibits a monopolist from refusing to deal in order to create or maintain a monopoly absent a legitimate business justification. We need not apply the essential facilities doctrine.
Section 2 of the Sherman Act prohibits a monopolist’s unilateral action, like Kodak’s refusal to deal, if that conduct harms the competitive process in the absence of a legitimate business justification. See Kodak,
In Otter Tail Power Co. v. United States, the Supreme Court held that the defendant, Otter Tail Power, used its electrical utility equipment, an “essential facility,” to gain monopoly power over all commercial electrical services.
In Alaska Airlines, we interpreted Otter Tail as requiring plaintiffs proceeding under the “essential facilities” doctrine to establish that the controlled facility “carries with it the power to eliminate competition in the downstream market.”
The Supreme Court has never explicitly held that a § 2 refusal to deal claim can only be established under the “essential facilities” rubric. In Kodak the Supreme Court never discussed the essential facilities doctrine; nor do any of the cases cited by the Court employ the essential facilities analysis. See
The Supreme Court considered a refusal to deal claim in Aspen Skiing without referencing the essential facilities doctrine. Aspen Skiing involved a § 2 challenge by one Aspen ski resort against the owner of the remaining three ski resorts in Aspen, a monopolist in the recreational ski market. The plaintiff proceeded under an essential facilities theory alleging that a previously available “all-Aspen” ski pass, granting the holder access to all four Aspen ski areas, was an essential facility. The jury agreed and awarded damages. The Tenth Circuit affirmed. Aspen Highlands Skiing Corp. v. Aspen Skiing Co.,
The Supreme Court began its analysis in Aspen Skiing with a discussion of the “right to refuse to deal,” a right the Court characterized as highly valued but not “unqualified.” Id. at 601,
Next, the Court reasoned that a monopolist’s refusal to deal was not limited to the specific facts of Lorain Journal, but also covered the Aspen Skiing defendant-monopolist’s election “to make an important change in a pattern of distribution that had originated in a competitive market and had persisted for several years.” Id. at 603,
Jury Instructions Nos. 28 and 29 here covered the requirements set forth in Aspen Skiing.
3.
Kodak next attacks the jurys verdict on the grounds that the ISOs failed to present a theory of aftermarket monopoly
We review Kodak’s claim only for plain error because Kodak failed to move for judgment as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 50(a) at the close of the evidence. Cabrales v. County of Los Angeles,
Kodak, relying on out-of-circuit authority, argues that a party need not move for judgment as a matter of law when such a motion would be futile. See Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Co. v. Brookhaven Manor Water Co.,
The record discloses that the ISOs presented sufficient evidence to establish Kodak’s monopoly power in the service market. Under the plain error standard we inquire no further. We reverse under plain error only if “there is an absolute absence of evidence to support the jury’s verdict.” Cabrales,
Ill
Our conclusion that the ISOs have shown that Kodak has both attained monopoly power and exercised exclusionary conduct does not end our inquiry. Kodak’s conduct may not be actionable if supported by a legitimate business justification. When a legitimate business justification supports a monopolist’s exclusionary conduct, that conduct does not violate § 2 of the Sherman Act. See Kodak,
A. Least Restrictive Alternatives
Kodak argues that the district court erred by failing to instruct the jury that it was not to consider whether Kodak could have accomplished its business objectives through less restrictive alternatives. Kodak also questions the sufficiency of the ISOs’ pretext evidence. The ISOs counter that Kodak waived its arguments regarding business justifications by failing to move for judgment as a matter of law. We disagree. To the extent that Kodak’s arguments focus on the jury instructions and not the general sufficiency of the evidence, Rule 50(b) does not apply.
Kodak argues that monopolization, unlike tying, does not require consideration of whether the defendant could have achieved its aims through less restrictive alternatives. Kodak, however, cites no authority mandating an instruction requiring that the jury not consider “less restrictive alternatives.” Kodak’s argument rests on the combination of the district court’s refusal to use Kodak’s requested language and Kodak’s disagreement with the “unnecessarily excludes or handicaps competitors” language of Jury Instruction Nos. 29 and 34. As a result of this combination, Kodak argues, the ISOs were able to argue a “necessity” standard and ask the jury to weight what Kodak did “against the alternatives.”
As discussed above, the “unnecessarily excluded or handicaps” language was permissible under Aspen Skiing. Moreover, the district court’s instruction here, Instruction No. 28, was very similar to both the language proposed by Kodak and the language endorsed by the Supreme Court in Aspen Skiing,
Kodak next argues that the ISOs’ primary arguments refuting Kodak’s business justifications were “less restrictive alternative” arguments. Kodak focuses on the ISOs’ attack on Kodak’s quality control justification as one such “less restrictive alternative” argument. Kodak argues that because “the legitimacy of quality control is beyond reproach,” the ISOs were forced to establish this justification, and others, were pretextual. The ISOs did establish pretext: they attacked Kodak’s quality control justification on the grounds that it was pretextual, not because it was the least restrictive alternative. Counsel for the ISOs argued that Kodak’s quality control justification was “a joke” because ISOs do not interfere with the quality of Kodak’s service. We hold that the district court did not err in its instructions.
Kodak has waived its insufficiency of evidence claim on this issue by failing to move for judgment as a matter of law at trial. We review only for plain error. Cabrales,
B. Intellectual Property Rights
Kodak also attacks the district court’s business justifications instructions for then-failure to properly detail Kodak’s intellectual property rights. Kodak argues that the court failed to instruct the jury that Kodak’s numerous patents and copyrights provide a legitimate business justification for Kodak’s alleged exclusionary conduct. Kodak holds 220 valid United States patents covering 65 parts for its high volume photocopiers and micrographics equipment, and all Kodak diagnostic software and service software are copyrighted. The jury instructions do not afford Kodak any “rights” or “privileges” based on its patents and copyrights: all parts are treated the same. In Jury Instruction No. 37, the court told the jury:
[i]f you find that Kodak engaged in monopolization or attempted monopolization by misuse of its alleged parts monopoly ... then the fact that some of the replacement parts are patented or copyrighted does not provide Kodak with a defense against any of those antitrust claims.
In Jury Instruction No. 28, the court stated, over Kodak’s objection, that:
[sjuch [exclusionary] conduct does not refer to ordinary means of competition, like offering better products or services, exercising superior skill or business judgment, utilizing more efficient technology, or exercising natural competitive advantages.
Kodak proposed to include “exercising lawful patents and copyrights” amongst the list of non-exclusionary conduct in Instruction No. 28, but the district court rejected that language.
Kodak’s challenge raises unresolved questions concerning the relationship between federal antitrust, copyright and patent laws. In particular we must determine the significance of a monopolist’s unilateral refusal to sell or license a patented or copyrighted product in the context of a § 2 monopolization claim based upon monopoly leveraging. This is a question of first impression.
1.
We first identify the general principles of antitrust, copyright and patent law as we must ultimately harmonize these statutory schemes in responding to Kodak’s challenge.
Antitrust law seeks to promote and protect a competitive marketplace for the benefit of the public. See Standard Oil Co. v. United States,
Patent law seeks to protect inventions, while inducing their introduction into the market for public benefit. SCM Corp.,
Federal copyright law “secure[s] a fair return for an author’s creative labor” in the short run, while ultimately seeking “to stimulate artistic creativity for the general public good.” Twentieth Century Music Corp. v. Aiken,
Clearly the antitrust, copyright and patent laws both overlap and, in certain situations, seem to conflict. This is not a new revelation. We have previously noted the “obvious tension” between the patent and antitrust laws: “[o]ne body of law creates and protects monopoly power while the other seeks to proscribe it.” United States v. Westinghouse Electric Corp.,
Two principles have emerged regarding the interplay between these laws: (1) neither patent nor copyright holders are immune from antitrust liability, and (2) patent and copyright holders may refuse to sell or license protected work. First, as to antitrust liability, case law supports the proposition that a holder of a patent or copyright violates the antitrust laws by “concerted and contractual behavior that threatens competition.” Id. at 1185 n. 63 (citation omitted). In Kodak, the Supreme Court noted:
[we have] held many times that power gained through some natural advantage such as a patent, copyright, or business acumen can give rise to liability if ‘a seller exploits his dominant position in one market to expand his empire into the next.’
Case law also supports the right of a patent or copyright holder to refuse to sell or license protected work. See Westinghouse,
2.
Next we lay out the problem presented here. The Supreme Court touched on this question in Kodak, i.e., the effect to be given a monopolist’s unilateral refusal to sell or license a patented or copyrighted product in the context of a § 2 monopoly leveraging claim. In footnote 29, previously discussed,
The Kodak Court, however, did not specifically address the question of antitrust liability based upon a unilateral refusal to deal in a patented or copyrighted product. Kodak and its amicus correctly indicate that the right of exclusive dealing is reserved from antitrust liability. We find no reported case in which a court has imposed antitrust liability for a unilateral refusal to sell or license a patent or copyright.
This basic right of exclusion does have limits. For example, a patent offers no protection if it was unlawfully acquired. Data General,
The relevant market for determining the patent or copyright grant is determined un
Triad invented, developed, and marketed its software to enable its customers and its own technicians to service Triad computers. Southeastern is getting a free ride when it uses that software to perform precisely the same service. Triad is entitled to licensing fees from Southeastern and other ISOs____
Id. at 1337. Rather than merely requiring Southeastern to pay for future use, the district court enjoined Southeastern from servicing the computers that had licensed software. See id. at 1334. We never reached Southeastern’s antitrust counterclaims, as they had not yet been tried. Id. at 1338 (district court properly bifurcated the copyright and antitrust claims). Neither did we refer to antitrust principles in defining the reach of Triad’s copyright.
Parts and service here have been proven separate markets in the antitrust context, but this does not resolve the question whether the service market falls “reasonably within the patent [or copyright] grant” for the purpose of determining the extent of the exclusive rights conveyed. Mallinckrodt, Inc. v. Medipart, Inc.,
When an owner of intellectual property takes concerted action in violation of § 1, this dissonance does not threaten his core right of exclusion.
The effect of claims based upon unilateral conduct on the value of intellectual property rights is a cause for serious concern. Unilateral conduct is the most common conduct in the economy. After Kodak, unilateral conduct by a manufacturer in its own aftermarkets may give rise to liability and, in one-brand markets, monopoly power created by patents and copyrights will frequently be found. Under current law the defense of monopolization claims will rest largely on the legitimacy of the asserted business justifica
Without bounds, claims based on unilateral conduct will proliferate. The history of this case demonstrates that such claims rest on highly disputed factual questions regarding market definition. Particularly where treble damages are possible, such claims will detract from the advantages lawfully granted to the holders of patents or copyrights by subjecting them to the cost and risk of lawsuits based upon the effect, on an arguably separate market, of their refusal to sell or license. The cost of such suits will reduce a patent holder’s “incentive ... to risk the often enormous costs in terms of time, research, and development.” Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp.,
3.
We now resolve the question detailed above. Under the fact-based approaches of Aspen Skiing and Kodak, some measure must guarantee that the jury account for the procompetitive effects and statutory rights extended by the intellectual property laws. To assure such consideration, we adopt a modified version of the rebuttable presumption created by the First Circuit in Data General, and hold that “while exclusionary conduct can include a monopolist’s unilateral refusal to license a [patent or] copyright,” or to sell its patented or copyrighted work, a monopolist’s “desire to exclude others from its [protected] work is a presumptively valid business justification for any immediate harm to consumers.” Data General,
This presumption does not “rest on formalistic distinctions” which “are generally disfavored in antitrust laws;” rather it is based on “actual market realities.” Kodak,
Given this presumption, the district court’s failure to give any weight to Kodak’s intellectual property rights in the jury instructions constitutes an abuse of discretion. This error was, however, harmless. The ISOs maintain that Kodak argued protection of intellectual property as a business justification to the jury, which rejected this justification as pretextual. An error in instructing the jury in a civil case does not require reversal if it is more probable than not harmless. Jenkins v. Union Pacific R. Co.,
Kodak contends that the district court’s jury instructions prevented it from arguing intellectual property to the jury. Although Kodak listed “Protect[ ] Kodak’s R & D investment and intellectual property rights” among the seven business justifications it presented, the only argument Kodak made in closing was this:
Protecting Investments. By itself, again, another legitimate business reason. You’ve already seen the size of the investments. And indeed, Plaintiffs themselves recognized that they wouldn’t be in business unless Kodak made those investments.
Given the interplay of the antitrust and intellectual property laws discussed above, Kodak’s contention that its refusal to sell its parts to ISOs was based on its reluctance to sell its patented or copyrighted parts was a presumptively legitimate business justification. See Data General,
Nonetheless, this presumption is rebuttable. See id. at 1188. In Data General, the First Circuit reasoned that the plaintiff did not rebut the presumption by drawing an analogy to Aspen Skiing, where a monopolist made an important change' in a its practices, which had both originated in a competitive market and persisted for several years. See Data General,
The Data General court noted that the presumption of legitimacy can be rebutted by evidence that the monopolist acquired the protection of the intellectual property laws in an unlawful manner. See
Kodak defends its intellectual property rights “justification” against claims of pretext. Kodak argues that its subjective motivation is irrelevant. Kodak also contends, citing Olympia Equipment Leasing Co. v. Western Union Telegraph Co.,
Evidence regarding the state of mind of Kodak employees may show pretext, when such evidence suggests that the proffered business justification played no part in the decision to act. Kodak’s parts manager testified that patents “did not cross [his] mind” at the time Kodak began the parts policy. Further, no distinction was made by Kodak between “proprietary” parts covered by tooling or engineering clauses and patented or copyrighted products. In denying Kodak’s motion for a new trial, the district court commented that Kodak was not actually motivated by protecting its intellectual property rights. Kodak argues that the district court should have allowed the jury to reach this conclusion.
Kodak photocopy and micrographics equipment requires thousands of parts, of which only 65 were patented. Unlike the other cases involving refusals to license patents, this case concerns a blanket refusal that included protected and unprotected products. Cf. Westinghouse,
Kodak argues that the existence of some patented and copyrighted products undermines ISOs “all parts” theory. To the contrary, as discussed above, the “all parts” market reflects the “commercial realities” of the marketplace and the lack of identifiable separate markets for individual parts. The fact that Kodak did not differentiate between patented and nonpatented parts lends further support to the existence of these commercial realities. The jury accepted the “all parts” theory and found a scheme to monopolize the service market through Kodak’s conduct. We hold that the district court’s failure to instruct on Kodak’s intellectual property rights was harmless.
IV
Kodak asserts that the district court erred in failing to excuse Juror John Bushong on the grounds of bias. We recognize the district court’s broad discretion on matters concerning juror bias and review such challenges for an abuse of discretion. Hard v. Burlington Northern R.R. Co.,
Kodak’s complaint revolves around Bushong’s prior relationship with Kodak. At voir dire, Bushong disclosed that he had dealt with Kodak previously in conjunction with a photo laboratory he owned from 1979 to 1987. Kodak’s counsel questioned Bushong as to how this prior experience might influence his objectivity. Bushong responded that he could put aside his personal opinions and base a verdict on the evidence in an impartial and fair manner. Neither party moved to strike Bushong from the jury panel and he was subsequently seated on the jury.
On the second day of trial Bushong sent a note to the judge expressing concern over his ability to remain impartial given his prior dealings with Kodak. Bushong wrote that he was “having difficulty not remembering [his] sometimes adversarial relationship with Kodak.” The note continued: “I don’t know if this will effect me in my decision on the case. But could you please advise me how you feel about this.” The judge had Bushong brought into open court, alone, for questioning by the court and counsel. Further inquiry revealed Bushong’s feelings of resentment toward Kodak stemming from Kodak’s handling of his prior account. Bushong indicated that he was struggling to remain impartial. Kodak then moved to strike Bushong for cause. The court decided to allow Bushong to remain on the jury subject to questioning two days later. The judge indicated that if Bushong harbored any conflict at the second hearing, Bushong would be removed.
At the second hearing, Bushong assured the court of his impartiality and confirmed his ability to judge the case fairly. He stated:
I can tell you that I’ve always prided myself in being a just and fair person and being observant of the facts. And that I think that in this ease I can judge by the facts as presented and will give the facts a chance to speak for themselves.
Bushong also indicated that his negative memories of Kodak were “not coming back stronger. They are actually subsiding.” Consequently, the judge denied Kodak’s motion to dismiss Bushong for cause.
Kodak can only succeed on a challenge for cause by showing that Bushong was actually biased. Ward v. United States,
The district judge determined that Juror Bushong was fit to serve on the jury. We see no reason to upset that determination or to disregard Mr. Bushong’s oath to judge the evidence fairly and obey the court’s instructions. See United States v. Quintero-Barraza,
Kodak argues that Bushong’s initial bias takes on greater weight in light of the prolonged and contentious jury deliberations. Kodak cites the jurors’ notes indicating “serious conflict,” the district court’s Allen charge and dismissal of a juror, as well as the need for supplemental instructions. Whether these irregularities were the consequence of the quantity and complexity of the evidence or otherwise, we need not decide; these factors are not relevant to our review of the district court’s denial of Kodak’s motion to exclude Juror Bushong. The district judge did not abuse his discretion in denying Kodak’s motion, and the failure to dismiss Bushong did not deprive Kodak of a fair trial.
V
Kodak next attacks both the jury’s award of service damages and used equipment damages. We review a jury’s verdict for substantial evidence. Davis,
The ISOs employed a “yardstick” methodology in calculating damages. That is, the ISOs calculated damages by comparing their business to a comparable business not affected by the anticompetitive conduct at issue. Id. (“In economic terms, the amount of damages is the difference between what the plaintiff could have made in a hypothetical free economic market and what the plaintiff actually made in spite of the anticompetitive activities.”). Whether that “unaffected” business properly compares to the relevant market presents a question of fact for the jury. Syufy Enterprises v. American Multicinema, Inc.,
A. Service Damages
The ISOs’ damage expert employed two basic yardsticks in determining damages: “1) plaintiffs’ own non-Kodak revenues, and 2) the composite growth of other plaintiff ISOs’ non-Kodak revenue.” The ISOs’ expert, Thomas Neches, found that ten of the eleven plaintiffs had sufficient non-Kodak revenues to justify using the first yardstick. Seven ISOs had insufficient non-Kodak revenues, so Neches calculated damages by comparing ISO’s growth to the averaged annual composite growth of the other ISOs’ non-Kodak revenues, the second yardstick. Neches used other methods in determining damages for plaintiffs MSI, CPO and ITS. Neches based MSI’s lost profits on the statements of MSI’s president to the effect that MSI would have earned 50% more “but for” the Kodak parts policy. For CPO and ITS copier service, Neches derived his damage estimates using an averaged growth rate of the ISOs servicing micrographie equipment. Kodak now challenges both the MSI and CPO estimates.
Kodak, citing Gray v. Shell Oil Co.,
*1222 [plaintiffs] opinion, based on his hindsight, that he would have been able to make a greater margin of profit ... is pure guess work and without foundation in this record.
Id. at 748. The record supports MSI’s damage estimates. The record shows that MSI’s lost profits were caused by its inability to obtain sufficient parts to compete for Kodak’s large contracts. Further, MSI’s president explained how he and his employees arrived at the 50% estimate, amounting to an extra $20,000 in service sales per year in each of MSI’s twenty metropolitan areas.
Kodak argues that Neches used MSI’s 50% figure “without further inquiry.” To the contrary, Neches testified that he conducted additional analysis to verify that the 50% figure was a “reasonable projection;” he concluded “it was.” Neches also prepared a market share study to verify that a sufficient number of machines were available to support MSI’s claimed market share increase. This evidence sufficiently supports Neches’ damage estimates.
As to CPO and ITS, Kodak challenges the benchmark used for their damage claims: the average growth rate of the micrographie services of the other ISOs. Neches used this method because ITS had no copier service other than Kodak and although CPO serviced Xerox machines, Xerox adopted a parts policy similar to that of Kodak. Neches used the ISOs as his comparable market, and Kodak fails to identify any record evidence demonstrating that the markets used were not comparable. If there were “no meaningful economic similarity” between the ISOs and the firms used for comparison, we would have cause to overturn the damages. See William Inglis & Sons v. Continental Baking,
Kodak next focuses on the incongruity between the damages awarded to the larger ISOs (MSI and CPO) and the smaller ISOs. Kodak highlights the distinction between the two groups: the larger ISOs had access to parts and profited, while the smaller ISOs often gave up the search for parts. That the larger ISOs earned profits, however, does not preclude them from recovering damages to compensate any losses stemming from Kodak’s anticompetitive behavior. Juries may award damages to profitable businesses for lost sales as the result of anticompetitive behavior. See Great Western Directories, Inc. v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.,
Kodak also claims that it was not responsible for the losses of ASI, which went out of business, as those losses resulted from ASI’s inability to adapt to Kodak’s conduct. ASI’s president admitted that he simply stopped trying to obtain parts and let his contracts expire after Kodak instituted its parts policy. The fact that other ISOs took ASI’s customers and profited shows that ASI’s exit was caused by factors other than Kodak’s conduct. See Datagate, Inc. v. Hewlett-Packard Co.,
Kodak next argues that the ISOs’ damage study failed to properly consider later changes in the ISOs’ claims. First, Kodak cites testimony by principals of various ISOs establishing the availability of parts for pre-1986 micrographies equipment. Yet, Kodak argues, Neches testified that he built the damage study on the assumption that the micrographics plaintiffs “were claiming damages on both pre-1986 and post-1986 equipment.” Nonetheless the damages estimates remain valid, because, as Neches explained, the pre and post-1986 distinction made no difference in his projections:
*1223 The way that my study was done, I don’t look at specific equipment, specific parts, specific customers. I look at the overall trend of the sales.
If [plaintiffs] were selling pre-’86 equipment or able to service some post-’86 equipment, that would show up in their actual sales and would act as a reduction to damages.
Neches calculated lost revenues by subtracting Kodak revenues from non-Kodak revenues (the yardstick) and multiplying by marginal profit rates.
Kodak argues that the damage study failed to account for the fact that the ISOs did not compete with Kodak for the point-of-sale contracts entered into between equipment sellers and purchasers. Kodak does not point to evidence in the record, however, establishing that the ISOs’ non-Kodak revenue derived from such contracts. Absent this evidence, Kodak does not demonstrate that the comparative use of non-Kodak revenue as a yardstick is inaccurate.
Kodak also argues that the ISOs’ failure to alter the damage study after the withdrawal of the ISOs’ tying and conspiracy claims invalidates the study. In the conspiracy and tying claims the ISOs alleged a different legal theory for the same harm that the jury found at trial: exclusionary conduct leading to the monopolization of the service market. The jury found that Kodak’s conduct deprived the ISOs of service contracts they would otherwise have obtained. That Kodak accomplished this through its parts policy and restrictions on original-equipment manufacturers and not through overt tying or conspiracy does not affect the total damages. Section 4 of the Clayton Act provides for damages upon a showing of antitrust injury. 15 U.S.C. § 15; Datagate,
Kodak argues that the ISOs’ damages do not comport with the impact of a hypothetical open sale policy on parts. Neches agreed that if Kodak increases its parts prices, the ISOs’ service profits would decrease in the “but for” world without Kodak parts policy. These changes could decrease the ISOs’ profit margins. For most ISOs, however, the jury was asked to compare revenues from service on equipment brands not restricted by a parts policy.
We uphold these damages and all service damages with the exception of those damages awarded to ASI.
B. Used Equipment Damages
Kodak challenges the jury’s damage award, to six ISOs, for reduced sales of refurbished Kodak equipment. The district court previously dismissed the ISOs’ used equipment monopoly claims “on the merits.” The court nonetheless gave Jury Instruction No. 52, submitted by Kodak, which allowed the jury to award damages for lost equipment sales “caused by some of the consequences flowing from the monopolization of the service market.”
Kodak now argues that the used equipment damage award was improper because Neches did not distinguish between equipment sales lost due to Kodak’s control over the parts market and equipment sales lost due to Kodak’s service monopoly. In denying Kodak’s motion for judgment as a matter of law, the district court relied on Litton Systems, Inc. v. AT & T Co.,
In Litton, the Second Circuit upheld a damage award despite the fact that the plaintiffs damages study failed to differentiate between lawful and unlawful practices.
The ISOs must segregate damages attributable to lawful competition from damages attributable to Kodak’s monopolizing conduct. Vernon v. Southern Cal. Edison Co.,
The ISOs counter that they explained the causation issue to the jury, which did not award all the damages requested. Nonetheless, any damages awarded were speculative. Maintaining that all damages were caused by Kodak’s anticompetitive conduct, the ISOs argue that disaggregation is required only where some damage has been caused by lawful activity. This argument renders the distinction between conduct not adjudicated unlawful and “purely lawful competitive action” illusory.
When a § 2 monopolization claim has been dismissed or adjudicated against a plaintiff, damages attributable to that claim must be disaggregated. See id. at 1371-72 (citing MCI,
[MCI’s damage] study does not contain any information indicating how to adjust MCI’s projected revenues and profits to reflect a possible finding that [some items] were lawfully priced.
Id. Faced with the same difficulty, we also remand for a new trial on used equipment damages.
VI
Last, Kodak challenges the district court’s ten year permanent injunction requiring Kodak to sell all parts to all ISOs at reasonable prices.
Kodak attacks the injunction on the grounds that requiring Kodak to inventory-parts for the ISOs promotes free-riding by the ISOs. In Kodak, the Supreme Court noted that for Kodak to have an objection based upon free-riding, “the [ISOs] would have to be relying on Kodak’s investment in the service market....”
Further, the injunction requires Kodak to sell all parts for Kodak equipment, whether or not Kodak manufactures those parts, and forbids Kodak from interfering with sales to ISOs by original-equipment manufacturers.
Next, Kodak contends that the injunction imposes utility-like regulation of prices and deprives Kodak of its right to earn monopoly profits on its patented and copyrighted products. This requirement involves the court in a matter generally considered beyond our function, namely, direct price administration. See Concord v. Boston Edison Co.,
Dropping the reasonableness element and requiring nondiscriminatory pricing will both end Kodak’s service monopoly and protect Kodak’s intellectual property rights. Kodak should be permitted to charge all of its customers, including end users (both self-servicers and those under service contracts with Kodak),
Kodak’s remaining challenges to the injunction are without merit. Injunctive relief covering nonparty ISOs is proper under these circumstances. See Hawaii v. Standard Oil Co.,
We direct the following modifications to the injunction:
1. DEFINITION OF TERMS
As used in this permanent injunction, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(a)“Kodak” shall mean the defendant Eastman Kodak Company, its officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys and all persons in active concert or participation with any of them who receive notice of this injunction [, and Kodak’s successors and assigns].
(b)“Kodak equipment” shall refer to all past, present and future micrographie equipment (whether film or digitized media based) made by or for defendant and to all Kodak high volume photocopiers made by or for defendant Kodak including, without limitation, all such equipment serviced by Kodak personnel in the field.
(c)“ISOs” shall refer to any person, firm, corporation or other entity engaged, in whole or in part, in providing equipment on site or field repair or maintenance service to end user customers possessing Kodak micrographic equipment or Kodak high volume photocopiers in the United States.
(d)“Parts” includes the following:
(i) parts for Kodak equipment;
(ii) parts identified or described in Kodak’s Parts Lists;
(iii) all parts or supply items that are field replaceable by Kodak technicians (including, without limitation, subassemblies — to the extent that subassemblies are available to Kodak technicians — circuit board level parts, IC chips, image loops, pm packs, filters and cleaning kits);
(iv) service manuals (including those incorporated in hard copy, microfiche or other medium), parts, lists, price lists; and
(v) all tools or devices essential to servicing Kodak equipment including, but not limited to, service modules, meters and electrometers, but excluding tools and devices which are generally available from normal commercial sources and which are not distributed by Kodak to its technicians.
(e)“Kodak parts” include any part assembled, prepared or manufactured by Kodak. Kodak parts shall not include parts manufactured by original-equipment manufacturers for Kodak.
2. SALE OR PARTS FOR HIGH VOLUME COPIERS AND MICRO-GRAPHIC EQUIPMENT BY KODAK
(a) Kodak shall sell Kodak parts to ISOs or any buying cooperatives acting on*1227 behalf of ISOs for all models of Kodak equipment for which Kodak or its authorized agents offer service, provided that Kodak reserves the right to require cash on delivery for new sales to any person without an established and reasonably acceptable credit history or who is in default of an obligation to pay Kodak for previous orders or to take other reasonable actions related to credit if applied to ISOs and other third parties in a nondiscriminatory manner.
(b) All orders for Kodak parts by ISOs shall be made through the Kodak Customer Parts and Product Support Center (or similar facility) currently located in Rochester, New York.
(c) To the extent Kodak offers to its own technicians, for their use in repairing and maintaining Kodak equipment, individual Kodak parts as well as subassemblies containing numerous Kodak parts, or to the extent it is reasonable to do so, Kodak will offer to sell to any interested party on [reasonable and] nondiscriminatory terms and prices such individual parts and subassemblies, even though doing so gives the prospective purchaser the option of obtaining a particular part by itself or as a component of a subassembly.
(d) The provisions of this Injunction apply to equipment models which Kodak will introduce during the term of this Injunction as well as to the equipment models which Kodak has already introduced.
(e)“SeU” as used in paragraph 2(a), above, includes, at Kodak’s option, “license” with respect to any copyrighted “parts,” on [reasonable and] nondiseriminatory terms.
3.ISO ACCESS TO THIRD PARTY SOURCES OF PARTS
(a) Kodak shall not interfere with the ISOs’ purchase of parts from third party vendors (including the purchase of parts from Kodak parts suppliers), so long as the ISOs or vendors are not causing the breach of any obligation of themselves or a third party not to disclose proprietary Kodak data, specifications, drawings and/or schematic diagrams; provided that the sale of a part by a third party vendor or Kodak part supplier shall not be deemed to be a disclosure of Kodak proprietary data.
4. NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ISOs
(a) Kodak shall not discriminate against any ISO regarding parts availability or prices vis-a-vis any other ISOs, or any other commercial service provider or end user (ie., Kodak will sell parts to any ISO at the same prices and terms, conditions and delivery schedules offered to any other ISO commercial service provider or end user) [which prices, terms and conditions shall, in any event, be reasonable].
(b) Kodak shall not discriminate against any customer or other party on the basis that such customer or other party has used the parts or services of someone other than Kodak in connection with Kodak equipment; provided, however, that nothing in this order shall prohibit Kodak from charging a reasonable fee to inspect Kodak equipment before agreeing to offer an equipment maintenance agreement for service of that Kodak equipment.
5. KODAK’S RETENTION OF PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
Nothing in this Injunction shall prevent Kodak from taking appropriate legal steps to prevent others from duplicating parts for Kodak equipment in which Kodak has a protectable intellectual property interest.
6. NOTICE OF INJUNCTION
Kodak shall, within 45 days of the entry of this injunction, send to its past (within past five years) and current micrographic equipment and high volume photocopiers service customers a notification advising them that Kodak has been ordered to sell Kodak parts to ISOs for the repair and maintenance of Kodak equipment, in a form agreeable to plaintiffs or as approved by the court.
7. TERM OF INJUNCTION
Absent further order of this Court for good cause shown, this Injunction shall*1228 expire ten (10) years from the date of its entry. If Kodak completely exits the service market for either (1) high volume copiers or (2) micrographic equipment, the terms of this injunction shall no longer apply to Kodak parts for that equipment.
8. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION
This Court retains jurisdiction of this matter for the purpose of enabling any party to apply for such further orders and directions as may be necessary or appropriate for the construction, modification or termination of any of the provisions herein, or for enforcement and compliance with its terms or for the punishment of violations.
VII
We AFFIRM as to all liability issues; REVERSE all damages awarded to ASI and those damages awarded for lost sales of used equipment and REMAND for a new trial on used equipment damages. We AFFIRM on the remaining damage awards and AFFIRM the injunction as modified. Additionally, we award partial attorney’s fees for the ISOs to be determined by the district court.
AFFIRMED in part, REVERSED in part, and REMANDED for further proceedings.
Notes
. The district court excused two jurors during deliberations and thus only ten jurors deliberated on the final verdict. One juror was’ dismissed. over Kodak's objection, for disrupting the juiy's deliberations. A second juror was dismissed by agreement of both parties and the district court.
. Section 2 of the Sherman Act reads in relevant part: “Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce ... [commits a felony].” 15 U.S.C. § 2.
. The Supreme Court has held that its precedent relating to the "line of commerce” under § 7 of the Clayton Act applies to market definition under the "part of commerce” language in the Sherman Act. Grinnell,
. Kodak also argues, citing American Bearing Co., Inc. v. Litton Indus.,
. Contrary to the ISOs’ argument, the Kodak Court’s criticism of simultaneous entry barriers to parts and service did not lessen the requirements for showing market power; rather, the Court’s statement foreclosed Kodak’s argument that prevention of ISO free-riding on its invest
. Juiy Instruction No. 28 states in relevant part: Exclusionary conduct refers to practices that unreasonably or unnecessarily impede fair competition; that is, conduct that impairs the efforts of others to compete for customers in an unnecessarily restrictive way. Such conduct does not refer to ordinary means of competition, like offering better products or services, exercising superior skill or business judgment, utilizing more efficient technology, or exercising natural competitive advantages.
. In 1988, Congress amended the patent laws to provide that "[n]o patent owner otherwise entitled to relief for infringement ... of a patent shall be denied relief or deemed guilty of misuse or illegal extension of the patent right by reason of ... (4) [the patent owner’s] refus[al] to license or use any rights to the patent.” 35 U.S.C. § 271(d) (1988).
The First Circuit has observed that this amendment "may even herald the prohibition of all antitrust claims ... premised on a refusal to license a patent.” Data General,
. The cases cited by the Supreme Court also support this conclusion. In Times-Picayune, the Court addressed both ail tying claim and a § 2 monopolization claim.
Also relevant to the relationship between § 1 and § 2, the Court in Leitch Manufacturing held that it made no difference that the defendant had not expanded its monopoly “by contract."
[T]he owner of the patent monopoly, ignoring the limitation 'inherent in the patent grant,’ sought by its method of doing business to extend the monopoly to unpatented material .... [This is unlawful] whatever the nature of the device by which the owner of the patent seeks to effect such unauthorized extension of the monopoly.
Id. (citation omitted); see also Mercoid Corp. v. Mid-Continent Investment Co.,
The particular patent misuse issues addressed in Leitch and Mercoid are now controlled by 35 U.S.C. § 271, Dawson Chem. Co. v. Rohm & Haas,
. The ISOs correctly observe that this case involves a selective refusal to sell products protected by patents and copyrights, not an absolute refusal to license. This distinction makes no difference. See Westinghouse,
. The ISOs withdrew their tying claim. The ISOs’ Amici, National Electronics Service Dealers Association and Professional Service Association, argue that the record reflects concerted action by Kodak, but the jury instructions do not define such action and we should not presume that it was found.
. That antitrust claims may cut into the core rights conferred by patents and copyrights is illustrated by the injunction imposed by the district courl here. The injunction requires that Kodak supply all ISOs with its patented and copyrighted materials at “reasonable prices.'' Even the ISOs do not dispute that Kodak is entitled to reap monopoly prices from the sale or licensing of these materials.
. In Jury Instruction No. 34, the jury was instructed that, if they "find that any Kodak business reason” is a legitimate business reason, in that it "furthers competition on the merits, reduces prices, enhances the quality or attractiveness of a product, increases efficiency by reducing costs or otherwise benefits consumers,” they "should then consider whether each such reason is pretextual-in other words, not a genuine reason for Kodak's conduct.”
. Kodak does not point to evidence showing that MSI’s president based his 50% earnings growth estimate on pre-1986 equipment.
. Although Neches' calculation of the equipment available to service in different markets might have been skewed by failing to take equipment under point-of-sale contracts into account, certain exhibits show that these contracts were taken into account in his market calculation.
. MSI’s president factored in a 20% “attrition rate” in order to account for new competition. MSI’s projected growth rate for the relevant period was less than the other ISOs.
. The ISOs' argument that they were entitled to recover damages under a more general "proximate cause” instruction also founders on this untenable distinction.
. Counsel informed this court, by letter dated February 24, 1997, of an amendment to the district court's injunction. We recommend that the district court review that amendment in light of the modifying language set forth below.
. The injunction limits this requirement where “the ISOs or vendors are ... causing the breach of any obligation of themselves or a third party not to disclose proprietary Kodak data ... provided that the sale of a part ... shall not he deemed to be a disclosure of Kodak proprietary data.” The net effect is to require the sale of parts.
. Forcing nondiscriminatory pricing will force Kodak to restructure its pricing policies, but this
. The district court observed that the prices Kodak charges to companies like Danka and Canon, which have entered into servicing contracts with Kodak, provide a basis for assessing the reasonableness of Kodak prices. When the ISOs expand their markets, however, the demand for Kodak parts will increase, and Kodak should not be limited to its current prices.
Concurrence in Part
concurring in part and dissenting in part:
I join in the majority opinion affirming in part, reversing in part and remanding for further proceedings, with the exception of two modifications to the permanent injunction of the district court. Both modifications concern the applicability of the injunction to Kodak’s successors. The first is the deletion of the provision in paragraph 1(a) of the injunction specifying that the injunction applies to “Kodak’s successors and assigns.” The second modification with which I do not agree is the addition to paragraph 7 of the injunction of the following provision: “If Kodak completely exits the service market for either (1) high volume copiers or (2) micro-graphic equipment, the terms of this injunction shall no longer apply to Kodak parts for that equipment.” I believe that these modifications are unnecessary and significantly reduce the effectiveness of the injunction.
I
The appellate court reviews a district court’s decision to grant permanent injunctive relief and the scope of that relief for an abuse of discretion or application of erroneous legal principles. Viceroy Gold Corp. v. Aubry,
The injunction in this ease should apply to Kodak’s successors and assigns. The application of an injunction need not be strictly limited to parties before the Court and may extend to the successors and assigns of a party. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(d) provides that an injunction is “binding only upon the parties to the action, their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and upon those persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of the order by personal service or otherwise.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 65(d). Applying this Rule, both the Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit have upheld injunctions that apply to the “successors and assigns” of named defendants. See Golden State Bottling Co., Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board,
A provision extending application of an injunction to the successors and assigns of a named party is often essential to the effectiveness of the injunction. As was noted in Gallo, without such a provision, “the injunction theoretically might be defeated by assignment; at the very least an avenue for further litigation would be left open.” Gallo,
For these reasons, I believe that the district court’s decision to provide for application of the injunction to Kodak’s successors and assigns was appropriate and necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the injunction.
II
The majority’s modifications to paragraphs 1 and 7 of the injunction fundamentally alter the scope of the injunction. The removal of the provision applying the injunction to “Kodak’s successors and assigns” enables Kodak to deprive the ISOs of the relief embodied in the injunction by assigning a portion of its operations to a third party. If this were the only modification, it would still be theoretically possible for the ISOs to seek to hold a particular successor to the terms of the injunction. Because the injunction still applies to “all persons in active concert or participation with” Kodak, the ISOs could seek to bind a particular successor to the injunction by seeking to prove collaboration between Kodak and the successor.
The modification, to paragraph 7 of the injunction eliminates this possibility. This modification provides that, upon Kodak’s exit from the copier service market, all provisions of the injunction relating to copier parts will terminate. The provisions of the injunction pertaining to copier parts will be eliminated and will no longer apply to anyone: Kodak, Kodak’s successors, or those in “active concert or participation” with Kodak. Even assuming that it was necessary to narrow the class of persons bound by the injunction, I see no basis for eliminating key provisions of the injunction altogether.
I do not believe that such fundamental alterations to the injunction are necessary or appropriate. The application of the injunction to Kodak’s successors is supported by law and is not based on the application of erroneous legal principles. Binding Kodak’s successors to the injunction is necessary to ensure that the ISOs are not deprived of effective injunctive relief. The majority opinion does not state any reason for altering this aspect of the injunction. Moreover, the parties have not objected on appeal to the application of the injunction to Kodak’s successors. In these circumstances, I cannot conclude that the district court abused its discretion by framing the injunction as it did.
Although an appellate court may modify an injunction when such action is “necessary to assure that the relief will be effective,” see Glaxo,
The district court attempted to fashion an injunction that would provide effective relief for the ISOs and prevent the continuation of Kodak’s anticompetitive policies. The two modifications addressed herein drastically reduce the effectiveness of the injunction. I would affirm the district court’s decision to apply the injunction to Kodak’s successors and assigns.
. The facts of the instant case illustrate this problem. On February 12, 1997, after oral argument in this case, the parties and Danka Office Imaging Company ("Danka”) filed in the district court a stipulation stating that Kodak has sold its copier sales and service division to Danka. Pursuant to the stipulation of the parties and of Danka, the district court entered an order stating that Danka agreed to be bound by the terms of the injunction. Because the majority eliminates the provisions applying the injunction to Kodak's successors, the sale to Danka will deprive the ISOs of an important portion of the relief they have obtained.
