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Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a negotiated final order that prohibits Oregon Lithoprint Inc. from making or attempting to make any agreement to refuse publication of legal notices or to allocate customers who wish to publish these notices.

The settlement between the FTC and Oregon Lithoprint Inc., owner of the News-Register, a twice-weekly community newspaper based in Yamhill, Oreg., was first announced in March 2018. The order also prohibits the company from communicating with a competitor regarding advising customers to place foreclosure notices in the newspaper with the widest circulation in the area where the property is located, and regarding refusing to publish notices for properties located outside the competitor’s primary distribution area.

The FTC complaint alleged that in August 2016, in violation of federal law, the News Register invited competitor The Newburg Graphic to forego competition and instead divide the Yamhill County market for foreclosure notices based on subscription volumes within different zip codes.

The Commission vote approving the final order was 2-0. (FTC File No. 161 0230; the staff contact is Michael Turner, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-3649.)

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