Association Discussion Limited to Voluntary Standardization Not Violative of Outstanding Cease and Desist…

No. 407. Association Discussion Limited to Voluntary Standardization Not Violative of Outstanding Cease and Desist Order. The Commission issued an advisory opinion in which an association of librarians was advised that contemplated meetings with various publishers for the limited purpose of discussing standardization of forms, definitions and cataloging would not be violative of Commission administered statutes or the terms of an outstanding cease and desist order prohibiting the publishers from meeting for the pur- — pose of discussing industry selling practices and procedures. Because | of the provisions of the order the publishers had heretofore refused — to meet asa group.

The Commission considered assurances that the proposed diseussions would not involve matters of discounts, freight and other allowances, and other elements of price, and the fact that members of the association of librarians were book purchasers with a vital interest in the preservation of competition in the industry and the prevention of price fixing. The association was further advised that Commission approval was based upon an understanding that any agreements reached at such meetings are to be entirely voluntary actions of each party involved without compulsion in any form. (File No. 703 7073, released March 20, 1970.)