Van Dyk Research Corp. v. Xerox Corp.

478 F. Supp. 1268, 205 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 1182, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10303
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedAugust 20, 1979
DocketCiv. 75-419
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 478 F. Supp. 1268 (Van Dyk Research Corp. v. Xerox Corp.) 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
Van Dyk Research Corp. v. Xerox Corp., 478 F. Supp. 1268, 205 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 1182, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10303 (D.N.J. 1979).

Opinion

OPINION

LACEY, District Judge.

Van Dyk Corporation (Van Dyk) charged Xerox Corporation (Xerox) with violations of the antitrust laws. The case was tried before this court, sitting without a jury. A brief description of the contentions of the parties is appropriate.

Plaintiff’s Contentions

Van Dyk’s amended complaint charged that Xerox had violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. § 2) by monopolizing, by attempting to monopolize, and by conspiring to monopolize an alleged “office copier” market, an alleged “plain paper copier” submarket, and an alleged market in toner and developer. The Section 1 Sherman Act claim (15 U.S.C. § 1) was based on agreements entered into by Xerox with Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), Horizons, Inc. (Horizons), The Rank Organisation, Ltd., of Great Britain (Rank), Rank Xerox Ltd. (Rank Xerox), Fuji Photo Film Inc., of Japan (Fuji), and Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd. (Fuji Xerox); and an alleged refusal by Xerox to sell or rent its copier/duplicators to customers unless they also agreed to purchase Xerox toner and developer. This alleged refusal to deal was also the basis for the claim that Xerox had violated Section 3 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. § 14).

Shortly before the commencement of trial, Van Dyk abandoned all of its claims relating to toner and developer.

Accordingly, the case was tried only with respect to Van Dyk’s monopoly claims and its claim that Xerox’ arrangements with Battelle, Horizons, Rank, Rank Xerox, Fuji and Fuji Xerox were in unreasonable restraint of trade.

As to the monopoly claim, Van Dyk alleged that Xerox has monopolized a plain paper copier market or submarket by (1) erecting a “patent wall” to foreclose competition in plain paper copiers; (2) participating in an international cartel which illegally divided world markets and illegally pooled the cartel members’ patents; (3) creating a “rental only” market environment to frustrate competition; and (4) engaging in exclusionary marketing practices.

In attempting to show that it was injured by this alleged misconduct, Van Dyk contended that it entered a marketplace in 1973 that had been so conditioned by Xerox to rent, rather than purchase, xerographic plain paper copier/duplicators that it was impossible for Van Dyk to market its machines by means of outright sale, which it allegedly desired to do. Accordingly to Van Dyk, this “rental only” environment made it necessary for it to obtain vast amounts of capital to finance its entry into the marketplace. However, Van Dyk asserted, its efforts to obtain capital were frustrated by the sheer magnitude of the capital needed, by Xerox’ alleged illegally established patent structure, and by Xerox’ alleged dominant market position. While Van Dyk also claimed that it was injured by Xerox’ marketing practices, including certain pricing plans, its post-trial submissions underscore that the fundamental predicate of its claim for damages is the injury allegedly arising from the supposed “rental only” environment, Xerox’ patents and Xerox’ market position, and what it claims were Van Dyk’s resultant financial problems.

Defendant’s Contentions

Xerox denied that it violated either Section 2 or Section 1 of the Sherman Act and *1271 that Van Dyk, as a result of Xerox’ conduct, suffered damages. Xerox contended that xerographic plain paper copiers alone do not constitute a separate and distinct economic market; and argued that xerographic plain paper copier/duplicators compete and have competed with, and are reasonably interchangeable with, both coated paper copiers and offset duplicators used for office copying/duplicating.

Additionally, Xerox denied that it ever has possessed monopoly power, i. e., the power to control prices or exclude competition in an economically relevant market. Instead, it asserted, new companies flooded the copier/duplicator market in the 1970’s and throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Xerox was forced by competition to reduce its prices and consistently improve its products.

Addressing Van Dyk’s contention that Xerox has achieved and maintained monopoly power by engaging in various exclusionary practices, Xerox contended that it achieved prominence in the copier/duplicator industry through its foresight, risk-taking and innovation; that it has marketed its products lawfully; and that it did not condition the market to prefer “rental only” over the outright purchase of copier/duplicators. In this connection, Xerox argued that it was customer preference that dictated Xerox’ marketing strategy; and it contradicted Van Dyk’s claim that it was forced to rent rather than sell its machines, stating that Van Dyk consciously elected to rent because a rental program best suited its own purposes and objectives.

Next, responding to Van Dyk’s claim that Xerox has attempted to monopolize a relevant market, defined to include both coated paper and xerographic plain paper equipment, Xerox contended that Van Dyk failed to establish either a specific intent to monopolize or a dangerous probability of success, prerequisites to a finding of an unlawful attempt to monopolize.

As to damages, Xerox denied that any conduct on its part caused injury to Van Dyk.

Finally, it should be noted that many of the claims made and defenses raised in this trial were also asserted in SCM Corp. v. Xerox Corp., 76 F.R.D. 214 (D. Conn. 1977), tried before United States District Judge Newman and a jury between June 20, 1977 and August 16, 1978.

The parties’ analysis of this case indicates the following: the jury rejected certain of SCM’s claims but awarded SCM damages on other claims in the amount of $37.1 million. Judge Newman entered final judgment on the verdict as to those claims where the verdict was in favor of Xerox, setting aside the verdict to the extent it awarded SCM money damages. He deferred action on SCM’s equitable claims. He certified appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b).

On May 10,1979 the Second Circuit Court of Appeals returned the matter to the district court, directing it to formulate what it regarded as the controlling question of law. Judge Newman has responded in a supplemental opinion, setting forth the controlling question of law, and the matter is presently before the Court of Appeals.

While Van Dyk had at one time sought to have this court apply the doctrine of collateral estoppel to resolve here issues decided in SCM, leading to a delay in the filing of this decision, that motion has now been withdrawn.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Van Dyk is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey. Its principal office is in Whippany, New Jersey.

2. Xerox is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York. Its executive offices are in Stamford, Connecticut.

3.

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Bluebook (online)
478 F. Supp. 1268, 205 U.S.P.Q. (BNA) 1182, 1979 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10303, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/van-dyk-research-corp-v-xerox-corp-njd-1979.