Volvo North Amer. Corp. v. Men’s Int'l Professional Tennis Council (MIPTC)

Volvo North American Corporation, ProServ, and IMG as sponsors, owners and producers of tennis events, respectively (the plaintiffs), brought suit against the Men’s International Professional Tennis Council (the defendant), alleging that the defendant used methods to limit the competitive opportunities of outsiders in violation of antitrust laws.

The plaintiffs specifically claim that the defendant acted as a vehicle through which certain sponsors, tournament owners, and producers established a cartel in the market for men’s professional tennis, resulting in reduced output and higher prices. The plaintiffs allege that, as a result of the alleged actions, their ability to obtain a sufficient supply of players’ services for special events was restricted, causing them to produce fewer special events and causing their profits to diminish. The defendant argued that if the plaintiffs’ theory was correct, then they were members of the cartel and directly benefited from the activity in question, so they did not have standing to bring suit. The district court granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss. The plaintiffs appeal.