Equifax, Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission

Equifax appeals from a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) order finding that Equifax violated section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18 , by acquiring three credit bureaus in 1970 and 1971, thereby lessening competition in the “local credit reporting” service market.

The complaint in this action charged the Retail Credit Company, now known as Equifax, Inc. (Equifax), with violating section 7 of the Clayton Act ( 15 U.S.C. § 18 ) and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ( 15 U.S.C. § 45 ), by reason of its acquisitions of Credit Bureaus, Inc., Salem, Oregon (CB West Coast) in January 1970, of the Credit Bureau, Inc., Washington, D.C. (CBDC) in October 1970, and of the credit reporting assets of the Retail Credit Association of Portland, Oregon, Inc. (CB Portland) in January 1971. The complaint charged that these acquisitions would have the probable effect of substantially lessening competition in the “credit reporting” product market, and various product sub-markets both in the United States as a whole and in several sections of the country, including Washington, D.C.; the San Francisco Bay Area; Portland, Oregon; Tacoma, Washington; and other metropolitan areas in the…