December

• Justice Department and FTC Urge Massachusetts Bar Association to Reject Proposal Restraining Competition Between Lawyers and Nonlawyers - Proposal Likely to Harm Massachusetts Consumers (12/16/2004, corrected 12/17/2004)

• Justice Department Settles Antitrust Case With Mushroom Farmer Cooperative - Mushroom Growers Agree to End "Supply Control" Campaign (12/16/2004)

• Arizona-Based Corporation Agrees to Plead Guilty to Charges of Defrauding the Federal E-Rate Program - Corporation Agrees To Pay $8.71 Million Fine and Restitution (12/08/2004)

• Four Infineon Technologies Executives Agree to Plead Guilty in International Dram Price-Fixing Conspiracy - Three German Citizens Face Jail Time in U.S. (12/02/2004)

November

• Justice Department Settles Civil Contempt Claim Against Republic Services Inc. - Republic Services Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.5 Million Civil Penalty (11/30/2004)

• Former Bayer AG Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to International Rubber Chemicals Price Fixing Conspiracy (11/23/2004)

• Department of Justice Antitrust Division Issues Statement on the Closing of its Investigation of Arch Wireless' Acquisition of Metrocall Holdings - Investigation Focused on Whether Merger of Two Paging Carriers Would Create Market Power (11/16/2004)

• Smithfield Foods to Pay $2 Million Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements (11/10/2004)

October

• Justice Department Requires Divestures in Cingular Wireless's Acquisition of AT&T Wireless - Divestitures of Assets in 13 Markets Preserve Innovation and Pricing Competition for Consumers of Mobile Wireless Services (10/25/2004)

• Wisconsin Case Yields Guilty Pleas on Charges to Defraud the Federal E-Rate Program - Two Pakistani Citizens Face Incarceration in the U.S. (10/22/2004)

• Antitrust Division Issues Merger Remedies Guide - Guide Provides Business Community, Antitrust Bar a Framework for Merger Remedies (10/21/2004)

• Arkansas Fish Distributor Charged with Obstruction of Justice (10/19/2004)

• Bayer AG Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $4.7 Million Criminal Fine for Participating in Synthetic Rubber Price-Fixing Conspiracy (10/13/2004)

• Justice Department and FTC Urge Massachusetts Legislature To Allow Nonlawyers To Compete With Lawyers For Real Estate Closing Services (10/12/2004)

• U.S. and Canada Sign Agreement to Provide for Enhanced International Antitrust Cooperation (10/05/2004)

• Justice Department Will Not Appeal Oracle Decision (10/01/2004)

September

• Bayer Corporation Agrees to Plead Guilty to Participating in a Chemical Additive Cartel - Agrees to Pay $33 Million Criminal Fine (09/30/2004)

• Relocation of the Office of Operations and Premerger Notification Unit, Antitrust Division (09/27/2004)

• Executive in the International Rubber Chemicals Cartel Agrees to Plead Guilty (09/21/2004)

• International Chemical Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Criminal Antitrust Conspiracy - Agrees To Pay $1.5 Million Fine (09/20/2004)

• Infineon Technologies AG Agrees To Plead Guilty To Participating In DRAM Price-Fixing Conspiracy - Also Agrees to Pay $160 Million Fine - Third Largest In Antitrust History (09/15/2004)

• First Executive in the International Rubber Chemicals Cartel Agrees To Plead Guilty (09/14/2004)

• Justice Department Statement Regarding District Court's Decision in U.S. v. Oracle (09/09/2004)

August

• Justice Department Requires Sardines Divestiture in Connors Bros. Acquisition of Bumble Bee - Divestiture of Port Clyde Sardine Business Preserves Competition for American Consumers (08/31/2004)

• Justice Department Requires Restructuring of Syngenta's Acquisition of Advanta - Divestiture of Worldwide Sugar Beet Seed Business Preserves Innovation and Pricing Competition for American Farmers (08/25/2004)

• Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Wachovia Requiring Divestitures in Wachovia/SouthTrust Merger - Divestitures Ensure that Banking Services in the Southeast United States Remain Competitive (08/25/2004)

• Missouri Road Construction Company and Executive Indicted on Bid-Rigging Charge (08/11/2004)

• Justice Department Announces Agreement to Modify SBC/BellSouth Consent Decree - SBC & BellSouth Agree Not to Acquire Certain Spectrum Licenses in Indiana (08/11/2004)

• Justice Department Settles Civil Contempt Claim Against American Airlines Inc. - American Airlines Agrees to Pay $3 Million Civil Penalty (08/06/2004)

• Japanese Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Participating in an International Antitrust Conspiracy - Would be First Japanese Citizen to Serve a Prison Sentence in the U.S. for Antitrust Offense (08/05/2004)

• Justice Department Settles Civil Contempt Claim Against Allied Waste Industries Inc. - Settlement Ensures Waste Disposal Rights in the Boston Area Continues (08/02/2004)

July

• Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Issue Report on Competition and Health Care - Report Reviews the Role of Competition, Provides Recommendations to Improve the Balance Between Competition and Regulation in Health Care (07/23/2004)

• Media Advisory - FTC and DOJ to Issue Report on Competition and the Health Care Industry (07/21/2004)

• Department of Justice Antitrust Division Issues Statement on the Closing of its Investigation of UnitedHealth Group's Acquisition of Oxford Health Plans - Investigation Focused on Whether Merger of Two Insurance Plans Would Create Market or Monopsony Power (07/20/2004)

• Background to Closing of Investigation of UnitedHealth Group's Acquisition of Oxford Health Plans (07/20/2004)

• Bayer AG Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay $66 Million Fine for Participating in Rubber Chemicals Cartel - Investigation to Date Yields Over $100 Million in Criminal Fines (07/14/2004)

• De Beers Centenary AG Pleads Guilty to Price-Fixing Indictment - Sentenced to Pay $10 Million Fine for Conspiring to Fix Industrial Diamond Prices (07/13/2004)

• Statement by Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate Regarding the Oracle Trial (07/01/2004)

June

• Statement by Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate Regarding Microsoft Settlement - U.S. Court of Appeals Finds Microsoft Settlement in the Public Interest (06/30/2004)

• New York Company & Its President Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Fraud Charges Related to Roofing Contracts (06/29/2004)

• Justice Department Implements the Standards Development Organization Advancement Act Of 2004 - New Law Extends Liability Limitation To Standards Development Organizations That File For Protection (06/24/2004)
  Related page: Filing a Notification Under the NCRPA

• Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, R. Hewitt Pate, Issues Statement on Enactment of Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 (06/23/2004)

• Statement by Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate Regarding the Oracle Trial (06/22/2004)

• Justice Department Closes Antitrust Investigation Into the Movielink Movies-On-Demand Joint Venture - Department Does Not Find that the Joint Venture Harms Competition or Consumers (06/03/2004)

May

• Justice Department Charges NEC in Probe into Federal E-Rate Program - NEC-Business Network Solutions Inc. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Wire Fraud and Agrees to Pay $20.6 Million Fine and Restitution (05/27/2004)

• Michigan Scrap Metal Dealer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Defrauding Nine Suppliers - Sturgis Iron & Metal Agrees to Pay a $206,000 Criminal Fine and $59,000 in Restitution to Victims (05/27/2004)

• Justice Department, Alcan Inc. and Pechiney S.A. Agree to Modify Antitrust Settlement - Settlement will Maintain Brazing Sheet Competition in North America (05/26/2004)

• Justice Department Allows Online Fee Survey Among Independent Lactation Consultants (05/25/2004)

• Statements from Attorney General John Ashcroft and Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate Regarding The Intent to Nominate Deborah P. Majoras as FTC Chair (05/11/2004)

• Bill Gates to Pay $800,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements (05/03/2004)

• Manulife to Pay $1 Million Civil Penalty For Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements (05/03/2004)

April

• Cartwright International Van Lines Pleads Guilty to Participating in Price-fixing Conspiracy - Missouri Company Sentenced to Pay a $250,000 Criminal Fine (04/29/2004)

• International Competition Network Conference Adopts Recommended Practices to Improve Merger Review Process, Establishes Cartel Working Group - Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate Promotes Antitrust Convergence at Seoul Conference (04/22/2004)

• Dutch Shipping Company Agrees to Plead Guilty In International Parcel Tanker Shipping Investigation - Company Agrees To Pay $19.5 Million Criminal Fine (04/19/2004)

• Third Annual International Competition Network Conference to Take Place In Seoul, Korea (04/16/2004)

• Five Indicted in Connection with a Scheme to Defraud the Federal E-Rate Program - Four Individuals Arrested, One Remains a Fugitive (04/05/2004)

• Antitrust Division Names New Chief of Staff and Deputy Assistant Attorney General - David A. Higbee to Serve as Chief of Staff and Deputy Assistant Attorney General (04/01/2004)

March

• Antitrust Division Names New Deputy Assistant Attorney General - Thomas O. Barnett to Serve as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Enforcement (03/31/2004)

• Maryland Utility Official and Contractor Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud in Connection with Kickback Scheme (03/25/2004)

• Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, R. Hewitt Pate, Issues Statement on the EC's Decision in Its Microsoft Investigation (03/24/2004)

• Justice Department Statement Regarding Antitrust Division's Corporate Leniency Program (03/22/2004)

• Department of Justice Antitrust Division Issues Statement Regarding the Ending of Settlement Talks Between the EU and Microsoft (03/18/2004)

• Crompton Corporation Agrees to Plead Guilty for Participating in Rubber Chemicals Cartel - Company Also Agrees to Pay a $50 Million Fine (03/15/2004)

• Arkansas Attorney Indicted on Money Laundering, Fraud and Obstruction of Justice Charges (03/11/2004)

• Two Wisconsin Road Construction Companies and Four Executives Indicted on Bid-Rigging Charges (03/09/2004)

• Department of Justice Antitrust Division Issues Statement on the Closing of its Investigation of Anthem, Inc.'s Acquisition of Wellpoint Health Networks, Inc. - Investigation Focused on Whether Merger Between Two Blue Cross Plans Would Create Market or Monopsony Power (03/09/2004)

February

• New York Printing Broker Pleads Guilty to Bid-Rigging and Conspiracy Charges (02/27/2004)

• Justice Department Filing Lawsuit to Block Oracle's Proposed Acquisition of Peoplesoft - Deal Would Result in Higher Prices, Less Innovation and Fewer Choices (02/26/2004)

• U.S. Moving and Storage Company Charged With Price Fixing and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States - Superseding Charges Filed Against Belgian Moving and Storage Company (02/18/2004)

• Justice Department/Federal Trade Commission to Host Joint Workshop on Merger Enforcement - Three-day Public Event Scheduled for February 17-19 in Washington, D.C. (02/11/2004)

• Three Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Charges in Printing/Graphics Industry (02/04/2004)

• Former New York HBO Executive Pleads Guilty to Bid-Rigging, Conspiracy, and Tax Charges - New Jersey Printing Company and Owner Also Plead Guilty to Related Conspiracy Charges (02/03/2004)

January

• Arkansas Attorney Charged with Money Laundering and Obstruction of Justice (01/28/2004)

• Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Request Individuals Resubmit Comments Regarding Agencies' Hearings on Health Care and Competition Law and Policy - Agencies Ask Individuals To Resubmit Electronic Comments Submitted Between June 1, 2003 and October 22, 2003 Due to Technological Errors (01/16/2004)

• Justice Department Issues Microsoft Consent Decree Compliance Advisory - Microsoft Agrees to Remove Override of End User's Default Browser (01/15/2004)

• Two Cleveland Scrap Metal Companies, Owner, and an Employee Indicted on Supplier Allocation and Bid-Rigging Charges - One Company Also Charged with Wire Fraud (01/15/2004, Revised 02/25/2004)

• Four Wisconsin Road Construction Executives Arrested on Bid Rigging and Wire Fraud Charges - Road Construction Projects Worth More than $100 Million to State of Wisconsin (01/13/2004)