Antitrust and Trade Regulation Commons^™

Developments In Antitrust And The First Amendment: The Disaggregation Of Noerr, Stephen Calkins

Law Faculty Research Publications

A legal doctrine conceived in ambiguity seldom achieves clarity with the passage of time. Such had been the experience with the Noerr-Penningon doctrine, the principal focus of this article. In its first Noerr-Pennington decision in 16 years, Allied Tube & Conduit Corp. v. Indian Head, Inc., the Supreme Court created new uncertainties. However, it also offered hope for resolution of some of the inconsistencies that have plagued the doctrine. It did this by distinguishing sharply between harm caused directly by petitioning activity (for which petitioners may be liable), and harm caused by requested government action (for which petitioners may …