Opinion ID: 475295
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Discrimination in Price.

Text: 26 Section 2(a) of the Robinson-Patman Act makes it unlawful for a seller to discriminate in price. The Supreme Court in F.T.C. v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 363 U.S. 536, 80 S.Ct. 1267, 4 L.Ed.2d 1385 (1960), held that discrimination is nothing more than a difference in price. Id. at 549, 80 S.Ct. at 1274. The discrimination requirement is a jurisdictional, and not substantive, element of a Sec. 2(a) violation. Given the fact that plaintiff's exhibits 4 and 13 demonstrate differences in price, Short has met its threshold jurisdictional burden of establishing a difference in price. 27 Texaco argues that discrimination in price must be established, not by looking at isolated specific instances of price discrimination, but rather at the difference in prices over time. See Falls City Industries, Inc. v. Vanco Beverage, Inc., 460 U.S. 428, 435, 103 S.Ct. 1282, 1289, 75 L.Ed.2d 174 (1983). However, inquiry regarding the existence of discrimination does not involve an inquiry beyond the simple fact that a difference in price exists. F.T.C. v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 363 U.S. at 549, 80 S.Ct. at 1274. These inquiries are relevant, but they arise at a later stage in the analysis and do not affect whether there has been a discrimination. See E. Kintner & J. Bauer, Federal Antitrust Law III Sec. 21.6, at 164. 28