On March 12, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a subpoena to the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), concerning an investigation in minimum advertised priced (MAP) policies in the music products industry. The FTC has reportedly also sought information from other trade groups, including the Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA), the International Association of Electronic Keyboard Manufacturers (IAEKM), the Percussion Marketing Council (PMC), and others.
Neither NAMM nor the FTC has been forthcoming on the scope and intent of the subpoena, which requests detailed records of sales, co-op advertising, and related activities going back seven years. No mention is found on the FTC Web site (www.ftc.gov), and NAMM is refusing to comment publicly beyond noting their retention of legal counsel.
