Final answer:
The correct answer is d. known as a price maintenance agreement and may violate Section 1 of the Sherman Act under the rule of reason test. U.S. antitrust laws, specifically the Sherman Act, prohibit restrictive practices, like minimum resale price maintenance that reduces competition, unless justified by a valid business rationale.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is d:
For a well-established market like the one for bookkeeping software produced by ComBuilt, requiring distributors and retailers to sell at a specified price can have antitrust implications. Under U.S. antitrust laws, particularly Section 1 of the Sherman Act, a price maintenance agreement—especially a minimum resale price maintenance—might restrict competition among dealers, which can be illegal. Such an agreement is typically not exempt from antitrust laws solely on the basis that the product is superior.
Relevant cases might involve rule of reason analysis under which the courts determine whether the specific conduct has a substantial anticompetitive effect and whether the practice is justified by a valid business rationale. Since having a monopoly or producing a superior product isn't inherently illegal, the enforcement in antitrust cases with regards to restrictive practices, like price maintenance, involves careful scrutiny of the potential effects on market competition.