Information Resources, Inc. will go to court next year with its $350 million-plus anti-trust suit against ACNielsen, Dun & Bradstreet Corp. and IMS International.
Chicago-based IRI alleges that ACNielsen attempted to exclude IRI from international markets and monopolize retail tracking in the U.S. IRI contends that New York City-based ACNielsen engaged in anti-competitive practices overseas to drain IRI of resources it needed to compete in the U.S. Earlier this year, the Canadian Competition Tribunal and the European Commission found in favor of IRI, concluding that ACNielsen prevented IRI from entering markets or artificially raised the costs of doing so. Damages could top $1 billion if tripled.
“We believe the facts in this case will show that we competed vigorously but lawfully with IRI, and the result was lower prices, better products and services in the industry, which is what anti-trust laws are intended to promote,” ACNielsen spokesperson Rich Meyers said. He added that IRI’s market share rose to more than 50% during the early 1990s, the time frame covered by the suit.
The court date is set for Sept. 20, 2004.
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