Ductile Iron Pipe Fittings Makers Parry Indirect Purchasers’ Sherman Act Claims

Indirect purchasers of ductile iron pipe fittings suffered dismissal of their Sherman Act §1 claims against the leading domestic producers of such fittings, according to a March 18 decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, which found their factual allegations to be lacking (In re Ductile Iron Pipe Fittings (DIPF) Indirect Purchaser Antitrust Litigation, D.N.J., 3:12-cv-00169-AET-LHG, 3/18/13).

Challenged Conduct.

According to the complaint, McWane, Inc., the dominant maker of ductile iron pipe fittings (DIPF) in the U.S., conspired with Sigma Corp., a potential competitor that stayed out of the market after ...