Opinion ID: 167719
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Tal, Inc.'s antitrust standing

Text: 33 Like Tal, Tal, Inc. must allege, inter alia, a cognizable antitrust injury to establish standing. Ashley Creek, 315 F.3d at 1254. To establish an antitrust injury, a plaintiff must allege a business or property injury, an antitrust injury, as defined by the Sherman Act. City of Chanute, 955 F.2d at 652. The primary concern of the antitrust laws is the corruption of the competitive process, not the success or failure of a particular firm. Brunswick Corp., 429 U.S. at 488, 97 S.Ct. 690 (The antitrust laws . . . were enacted for the protection of competition not competitors.) (internal quotation omitted). Thus, when a company fails because of legitimate competitive forces, it is not entitled to recover under the antitrust laws. Additionally, only buyers and sellers in the defendants' market are within the target of the antitrust laws. Comet Mech. Contractors, Inc. v. E.A. Cowen Constr., Inc., 609 F.2d 404, 406 (10th Cir.1980); see Reibert v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 471 F.2d 727, 731 (10th Cir.1973). This excludes secondary or remote injuries, such as those suffered by companies that desire to obtain a subcontract from a company injured by an antitrust violation. Comet, 609 F.2d at 406-07. 34 Tal, Inc. lacks standing because it did not suffer a cognizable antitrust injury. Tal, Inc. was not a buyer or seller in the affected market. Rather, Tal, Inc.'s allegation of an antitrust violation centers around the alleged bid-rigging between the Developers and Douglas which resulted in Bricktown, Inc.'s failure to receive the Bricktown redevelopment contract. Tal, Inc. claims it would have benefitted had Bricktown, Inc. received the redevelopment contract because Tal, Inc. would have received redevelopment subcontracts from Bricktown, Inc. and it owned land adjacent to Bricktown, Inc.'s proposed development area of Bricktown which would have increased in value had Bricktown, Inc.'s bid been accepted. This alleged injury, however, is insufficient to support Tal, Inc.'s antitrust claim. The fact Tal, Inc. could potentially benefit as a result of a derivative future business relationship with Bricktown, Inc. or through incidental and speculative increases in property value is insufficient to constitute an antitrust injury. Comet, 609 F.2d at 406-07. Accordingly, Tal, Inc. lacks standing to bring its antitrust claim. 35