161 0230 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BEFORE THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

COMMISSIONERS: Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Acting Chairman 

 Terrell McSweeny

 

 ) 

 ) 

In the Matter of ) 

 ) DOCKET NO. C-4645 

Oregon Lithoprint, Inc. ) 

 a corporation. ) 

 ) 

 ) 

COMPLAINT

 Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. 

§ 41, et seq., and by virtue of the authority vested in it by said Act, the Federal Trade 

Commission (“Commission”), having reason to believe that Oregon Lithoprint, Inc., has violated 

the provisions of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45, and it 

appearing to the Commission that a proceeding by it in respect thereof would be in the public 

interest, hereby issues this Complaint stating its charges as follows:

NATURE OF THE CASE

1. Oregon Lithoprint, Inc. (“OLI”) publishes a newspaper, the News-Register, which is 

distributed principally in Yamhill County, Oregon. OLI invited its closest rival in 

Yamhill County to divide geographic markets for printing foreclosure notices. By 

inviting collusion, OLI endangered competition and violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. 

RESPONDENT

2. OLI is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the 

laws of Oregon, with its principal place of business in McMinnville, Oregon 97128. 

3. OLI publishes a twice-weekly community newspaper—the News-Register. The publisher 

of the News-Register, as well as co-owner of OLI, is Jeb Bladine. 

4. The News-Register has a circulation of approximately 7000 subscribers in Yamhill 

County, Oregon. In addition to its paid subscribers, News-Register is available for 

purchase in newsstands in Yamhill County, and it is available for viewing on its website. 
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JURISDICTION

5. At all times relevant herein, OLI has been, and is now, a corporation as “corporation” is 

defined in Section 4 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 44. 

6. The business practices of OLI, including the acts and practices alleged herein, are in 

commerce or affect commerce, as “commerce” is defined in Section 4 of the Federal 

Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 44. 

INVITATION TO COLLUDE

7. Oregon law requires that certain legal actions, including the impending foreclosure of 

real property, be announced in qualifying newspapers. Foreclosure notices provide 

significant income for qualifying newspapers. 

8. The Newberg Graphic (“The Graphic”), a community newspaper, is the main competitor 

to OLI for the publication of foreclosure notices in Yamhill County. The Graphic is 

owned by Pamplin Media Group, which manages its various newspapers through its 

subsidiary, Oregon Publishing. 

9. Clear Recon Corporation is a business that places foreclosure notices on behalf of 

lenders. From 2014 through 2016, Mr. Bladine sought to convince employees of Clear 

Recon Corporation that Clear Recon should place in the News-Register all foreclosure 

notices for properties located in zip codes where the News-Register has the largest 

circulation among qualifying newspapers.

10. On August 17, 2016, Mr. Bladine learned that Clear Recon intended to place all future 

foreclosure notices for Yamhill County in The Graphic because it charged less for its 

services than the News-Register. 

11. On August 29, 2016, Mr. Bladine emailed the president of Oregon Publishing. Mr. 

Bladine wrote that News-Register was “pursuing efforts to convince Clear Recon Corp 

that foreclosure notices involving properties in our marketplace should be placed in the 

News-Register.” 

12. In the August 29 email, Mr. Bladine further explained that “[o]ur efforts are based on the 

belief that Oregon’s ‘best suited’ law creates a responsibility to consider actual notice to 

interested parties,” and thus he has “maintained that the belief [sic] that foreclosures 

should be published in the newspaper predominantly circulated in the community of the 

property.” 

13. Finally, Mr. Bladine used the August 29 email to invite Mr. Garber to divide foreclosure 

notice orders by geographic area: 
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As we continue our efforts, I would invite Pamplin Media Group to join 

News-Register Publishing Co. in a formal request to parties placing 

foreclosure notices – including private attorney firms – that the notices be 

placed using the “best suited” language concept as we understand the 

intent of that legal phrase. 

14. On August 31, 2016, through counsel, Pamplin Media repudiated the invitation and stated 

its disagreement with Mr. Bladine’s interpretation of Oregon law related to the placement 

of foreclosure notices. 

15. On October 25, 2016, Mr. Bladine sent another email to the president of Oregon 

Publishing explaining that The Graphic was getting a new client and thousands of dollars 

in new revenue because of Mr. Bladine’s efforts: 

A new client, no doubt representing many thousands of dollars in future 

revenue, is headed to the Newberg Graphic because we are aggressively 

pursuing our interpretation of Oregon law – wherever the chips may fall. 

As we urge publication in the Graphic of related to properties in Dundee, 

Newberg and St. Paul, we will be equally or more aggressive in 

responding to situations we believe violate the intent of the law. It is 

probably too much to expect that others would do likewise. 

16. Pamplin Media interpreted this communication as another invitation to allocate customers 

based on the location of the property, with the newspaper that has the greatest circulation 

in the zip code where the property is located receiving the foreclosure notice. On 

November 11, 2016, Pamplin Media explicitly rejected the second invitation.

VIOLATION CHARGED

17. As set forth in Paragraphs 9 through 17 above, OLI invited its competitor to agree to

divide the market for publishing foreclosure notices by zip code in violation of Section 5 

of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended.

18. The acts and practices of OLI, as alleged herein, constitute unfair methods of competition 

in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 

as amended. Such acts and practices of OLI will continue or recur in the absence of 

appropriate relief.

WHEREFORE, THE PREMISES CONSIDERED, the Federal Trade Commission on 

this twenty-fourth day of April, 2018, issues its complaint against OLI. 

By the Commission.

 Donald S. Clark 

 Secretary

SEAL: