Reiter v. Sonotone Corp.
Supreme Court
442 U.S. 330 (1979)
Relevant factsFree
Reiter (plaintiff) sued on behalf of a class of hearing-aid buyers, claiming Sonotone Corporation and five other manufacturers (Sonotone) (defendants) had illegally fixed hearing-aid prices, causing Reiter and the class to overpay. Reiter sought treble damages under § 4 of the Clayton Act. Sonotone moved to dismiss, arguing that Reiter, as a retail consumer who merely lost money, hadn't suffered the kind of "injury to business or property" that § 4 requires.
IssueFree
Whether a consumer who has lost money due to an antitrust violation has standing to bring a claim under § 4 of the Clayton Act for treble damages.
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