The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the National Football League can be considered 32 separate teams, rather than one big business, with respect to selling NFL merchandise.
The Court’s unanimous ruling reversed a lower court ruling that threw out an antitrust suit brought against the league by American Needle, which used to make NFL-approved hats.
“Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate, profit-maximizing entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned,” Justice John Paul Stevens wrote.
American Needle sued the league after losing the hat contract to Reebok, saying the league violated antitrust law when all 32 of its teams worked together to go with Reebok and keep American Needle out of the NFL hat business.
Now the lawsuit will go back to district court.
