Announced Actions(s) for June 24, 1997

The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions.

Commission action regarding petitions to reopen and modify FTC orders: Following a comment period, the FTC has ruled on a petition from the following:

• The Commission has granted on public interest grounds the petition of The Stop & Shop Companies, Inc., of Quincy, Massachusetts, to reopen and modify a 1996 consent order so as to delete requirements that Stop & Shop divest, among other stores, two Purity Supreme supermarkets in Massachusetts -- the stores located at 630 American Legion Highway in Roslindale, and at 525 Harvard Street in Brookline. The FTC said that, notwithstanding Stop & Shop’s diligent efforts to divest the stores as well as its continued maintenance of those stores, increased competition from other entrants has made it extremely unlikely that the stores can be divested. (See Nov. 1, 1995 news release for more details regarding the 1996 consent order; Docket No. C-3649; Commission vote to grant the petition was 4-1, with Commissioner Mary L. Azcuenaga dissenting, stating that the respondent’s obligation to divest the stores should not be excused because of costs that surely were anticipated at the time the order was signed.) Staff contact is Daniel Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Consent agreements given final approval: Following a public comment period, the Commission has made final a consent agreement with the following entity. The Commission action makes the consent order binding on the respondent.

• The consent order with Cooperative Computing, Inc. (CCI), of Austin, Texas, settles charges that CCI’s acquisition of Triad Systems Corporation, of Livermore, California, would violate antitrust laws by substantially reducing competition in the development and sale of electronic parts catalogs used in the automotive parts aftermarket, and likely result in increased prices and reduced services. The order requires CCI to divest its electronic parts catalog to MacDonald Computer Systems, of Valencia, California, through an exclusive, royalty-free and perpetual license with the right to sublicense and to transfer or assign its PartFinder® electronic catalog database, its J-CON® application program interface, and support software and documentation. The purpose of the divestiture is to ensure the continued use of the CCI catalog as independently competitive with the products of the merged company. (See Feb. 26, 1997 news release for more details regarding this case; Docket No. 3757; Commission vote to issue the order as final was 5-0.) Staff contact is Howard Morse, 202-326-2949.

Copies of the documents and news releases mentioned above, as well as Commissioner Azcuenaga’s full statement in the Stop & Shop matter, are available from the FTC’s web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326- 2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.