Case Description
Investigation by NY Attorney General of GSI, a company that sells sporting goods and other products on the internet. In addition to its own sites and via contracts with “partners,” GSI operates and sells on sites that appear to be the sites of major retailers of sporting goods. NY had concerns with these contracts and communications with its ‘partners’ on price. GSI addressed those concerns in an assurance of discontinuance, which (1) requires GSI to provide greater information to consumers about its role in managing the web sites, and ensures that GSI does not discourage competition among the sporting goods retailers; (2) prohibits GSI from transferring price information among sporting goods retailers; (3) bars any contract clause that would require the retailers to advertise their products on-line only through GSI; (4) requires GSI to allow retailers to link to price information for their stores, when GSI itself will not post that pricing information; and (5) expands disclosure of GSI’s role in the site to visitors who seek such information.
