An antitrust conflict - between big and small theater chains - is being played out in the California desert, according to this Sept. 27th, 2011 article in the LA Times."The lawsuit claims that [the big chain] Cinemark is engaged in an industry practice called "circuit dealing," in which theater chains leverage their size and buying power to prevent distributors from booking movies at theaters owned by their rivals. It alleges that Cinemark and a previous owner of River Cinema pressured distributors by threatening to not play movies elsewhere in their circuit if the distributors didn't agree to bar the films from the Palme d'Or. Circuit dealing was outlawed in 1948 in a Supreme Court ruling that held it violated antitrust law by stifling competition and limiting consumer choices."
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