Drywall Makers Lose Another Round in Long-Running Price-Fix Case

Three top drywall makers lost their bid for a ruling that their alleged price-fixing scheme never involved companies that previously escaped the case, with a Philadelphia judge calling the motion improper.

“The issue presented is simply not relevant,” Judge Michael M. Baylson wrote in a Dec. 5 order. “Granting defendants’ motion would contravene the well-settled rule that a federal court must refrain from deciding issues that do not involve a live case or controversy.”

The antitrust lawsuit, part of a multidistrict case, originally accused seven companies of violating federal antitrust laws and California’s Cartwright Act by conspiring to fix drywall ...