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Source: The Philadelphia InquirerSept.自存倉 05--The Sherman Antitrust Act has been used to prevent corporate behemoths from controlling the nation's railroads, fuel, and computer software. More recently -- and questionably -- it's been brought to bear on a less essential commodity: bus ads.But don't underestimate the power and importance of mass-transit marketing: The "unique moving billboards" that are SEPTA buses provide among the most "effective forms of advertising for legal services for small personal-injury . . . law firms," according to the small personal-injury law firm of Larry Pitt & Associates. That's why the Philadelphia-based firm is suing a larger local rival, Lundy Law, for locking up the city's bus-borne advertising in alleged violation of the venerable antimonopoly law.The lawsuit, filed in federal court, charges Lundy with nothing less than "a predatory campaign to eliminate competition." And it claims that SEPTA buses aren't the only advertising vehicle being monopolized by Lundy: The Pitt firm also found itself shut out of crucial airtime during sporting events and traffic and weather reports. Pitt even alleges an inside job, noting that firm principal L. Leonard Lundy's daughter works for the ad agency that handles SEPTA placements.For his part, 迷你倉新蒲崗undy's lawyer told The Inquirer last week that the complaint is "pretty far-fetched" and a product more of "personal animus" than legitimate antitrust grievances.Indeed, this isn't the first time the two firms have given tightfisted insurers and government-benefits gatekeepers a breather so that they could take each other to court. Earlier this year, Lundy sued Pitt on the grounds that the latter's slogan, "Remember This Number," is too similar to Lundy's, "Remember This Name." In the latest suit, Pitt alleges that the earlier litigation, since dropped, was just another offensive in Lundy's crusade to intimidate competitors and become the Standard Oil of Delaware Valley personal-injury law firms.While the two firms are relatively obscure among those who don't ride or drive behind SEPTA buses, they have hired prominent firms to represent them. So they're not only occupying the court with dubious legal claims; they're probably doing so at considerable expense.For two firms that have been aggressively competing to harvest plaintiffs from the populace during pitching changes and traffic jams, it's an ironic turn of events.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at .philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉出租