[jmaygarden]

Then shouldn't the law simply ban such pricing practices? That seems like a less oppressive solution. Banning an important industry from selling its own products just sounds wrong.

[tomrod]

It's not my area of expertise. But there have been lawsuits against vertical exclusivity in car dealership. These slides seem to go into it:

http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/hearings/single_firm/docs/...