United States v. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.

268 F. Supp. 769, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10542, 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) 71,809
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedJune 3, 1966
DocketCiv. A. 345-65
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 268 F. Supp. 769 (United States v. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 268 F. Supp. 769, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10542, 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) 71,809 (D.N.J. 1966).

Opinion

OPINION

COOLAHAN, District Judge.

I. This action was brought by the United States under the Anti-trust Laws to challenge the merger of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. [Reynolds], and Peniek & Ford, Ltd., Inc. [Peniek], The amended complaint alleges the combination is an unlawful restraint upon commerce in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1; and also that Reynolds’ acquisition of Penick’s assets violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18, in that it may substantially lessen competition in the sale of starch to paper and packaging materials manufacturers throughout the United States. The Government seeks divestiture. 1

On November 8, 1965 plaintiff moved under Rule 34, F.R.Civ.P. for the production and inspection of certain documents. Thereafter, having learned that numerous documents from Peniek relevant to the reciprocity practices discussed below, were gathered in the office of defendant’s counsel,' the Government filed a supplemental motion under Rule 34 on February 7, 1966 requesting those documents. 2

Defendant Reynolds objects to both motions for production on several related grounds.

First, Reynolds claims the Government has failed to show “good cause” since the information sought is either irrelevant, or unnecessary for a determination of the remaining issues, or already within the Government’s possession or knowledge. Specifically, Reynolds contends that:

1) Copies of some requested docuv ments already have been supplied to the Justice Department,
2) Many requests cover a period dealt with by prior investigations of the starch industry,
3) Many requests are not relevant to the sole issue which Reynolds maintain is before the Court,
4) Since the hearing on the preliminary injunction was practically a full trial on the merits, little further litigation, and hence little further discovery, is necessary.

Second, Reynolds claims that the categories of documents requested are not spelled out with sufficient particularity.

Third, Reynolds urges that any possible value which the documents might have at this juncture would be far outweighed by the unreasonably burdensome *774 task of determining what is demanded and collecting it.

In reply, the Government claims that this Court’s opinion denying preliminary relief indicated further evidence was needed to carry plaintiff’s burden of proof. It maintains that the requested documents are directed to that evidence, are adequately described, and are not unduly burdensome in view of their importance to a full and fair trial of the issues.

The Court has considered each disputed request in light of the particular nature of this case and the present posture of its litigation. On that basis, the Court is of the opinion that the plaintiff’s motions for production should be granted with certain prescribed limitations hereinafter discussed.

II. The difficulties peculiar to Antitrust discovery have been detailed fully elsewhere. 3 It suffices to note that in regard to questions of relevancy, necessity, and reasonableness, ample support can be found in the “leading cases” for either a permissive or a restrictive approach to such discovery. Indeed some decisions contain equally eloquent statements both of the proponent’s right to full disclosure and of his opponent’s right to refuse unreasonable demands and harassment.

In actions involving the structure and dynamics of large industries, almost every facet of their business may be relevant in some way. The issues •subject to proof are complex and wide-ranging; in short, protracted litigation is inherently burdensome on both sides. Nevertheless, a line must be drawn. Discovery must be kept in bounds by weighing the burdens of production against the importance of the information sought. In the final analysis, this is what the numerous cited decisions really teach.

III. In the present matter, the issues have been more fully explored and sharply defined than usual by virtue of the hearing on preliminary relief.

Reynolds correctly states the ultimate issue before the Court.

“[W]hether the acquisition of Penick by Reynolds will aggravate reciprocity in sales of starch by Penick to the paper trade sufficient to create the probability of a substantial lessening of competition.” Defendant’s Brief, pg. 2.

Penick’s two main areas of-endeavor are starch and related derivatives and grocery products. Reynolds, a leader in all facets of the tobacco industry, also has diversified into food products [Hawaiian Division] and packaging [Archer], In denying preliminary relief, the Court stated that “[t]he sale of corn starch to the paper industry is the particular sub-line of commerce which the Government argues will be effected by this acquisition.” United States v. Penick, 242 F.Supp. at 523. Moreover, the Court found that reciprocity — the use of buying power to secure sales— pervaded the trade relations of starch producers and paper packaging manufacturers. Id. at 523.

From this, Reynolds concludes that the practices of Penick’s non-starch divisions are irrelevant to the issue of impaired competition in starch sales to the paper companies. It further contends that since Reynolds was not in the starch business at all before the merger, its own activities are a, fortiori irrelevant to this issue.

The Court always welcomes efforts to contain the litigation within manageable proportions. However, Reynolds confuses the ultimate legal issue with the scope of relevant discovery. The subline of commerce in which competition will allegedly suffer is one thing; the range of activities outside that sub-line which may affect competition within it — or which indicate it will be affected— is another matter.

*775 PENICK

Reynolds continually refers to the “corn-starch-paper axis”, but Penick’s use of reciprocity to sell starch was not limited to the buying power of its starch division; a significant role was played by the paper packaging purchases of its food and grocery divisions both directly and through secondary reciprocity involving intermediary transactions. 4 The business practices of Penick’s non-starch divisions clearly tended to reduce competition-'in 'the' sale of starch to paper companies. They might do so in the future. Records of their past and present purchasing policies are therefore relevant.

Since the nature and extent of Penick’s reciprocity practices has been explored at length at the hearing for preliminary relief, the Court sees less need for discovery in this area than in regard to Reynolds.

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Bluebook (online)
268 F. Supp. 769, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10542, 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) 71,809, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-r-j-reynolds-tobacco-co-njd-1966.