A draft report by Japan's antitrust watchdog panel, which is looking into alleged unfair practice in contract agreements in the entertainment and sports industries, may be welcome news for celebrities and athletes encountering difficulties when they want to transfer.
An outline of the draft report by the Fair Trade Commission panel says that excessive restrictions placed during transfer negotiations on artists with exclusive arrangements with entertainment agencies and athletes violate the antitrust law. Putting unilateral restraints on freelancers' contracts with other companies is also an antitrust violation.
It is the first time for the long-entrenched customary practice to be recognized as an antitrust violation.