Parker v. Brown

Parker v. Brown is a 1943 U.S. Supreme Court case that established the "state action doctrine," which protects state governments and their authorized entities from antitrust laws when they engage in activities that promote public policies, like agricultural regulation. Essentially, it means that actions taken by states or their agencies, even if they may limit competition, are protected from antitrust liability because they are considered legitimate exercises of state sovereignty. This case clarified that only actions directly by private parties are subject to antitrust laws, not those taken under state authority.