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Examines the definition of agreement under the Sherman Act in the U.S. focusing on the provisions relating to conscious parallelism and refusals to deal in trade and commerce. Antitrust and illegality issues; Existence of an agreement to restrain trade; Desirability of an inclusive concept of agreement; Antitrust law. OF AMERICANS

The article reports on concerted refusal to deal under federal antitrust laws. Judicial interpretation of the antitrust laws since 1890, while delineating many areas of illicit conduct, has nevertheless left the area of concerted refusals to deal in great uncertainty. A concerted refusal to deal is an agreement by two or more persons not to do business with other individuals, or to do business with them only on specified terms. Such refusals encompass a wide range of activities, often grouped under the general rubric of boycotting or blacklisting.