Ever read something and have red flashing lights go off in your head? It happened to me a few minutes ago. It was a story promoted on Twitter by the Wall Street Journal.
Here’s the headline:
Sing-Offs Duel Saps Ratings
‘X Factor’ Producer Proposes Truce With ‘The Voice’ as Rivalry Goes Head to Head
Two words flipped the switch: Truce, Rivalry.
From wsj.com: With ratings for the singing contests “The X Factor” on Fox and “The Voice” on NBC down sharply this season, “X Factor” producer Simon Cowell proposed a novel solution: Why don’t the two sides meet and find a way to stop beating each other up?
I am not a lawyer. Duh! A few attorneys read this and they’ll surely let me know if I’m wrong.
You can’t collude with your competition. You can’t agree to pull your punches against each other. It’s as simple as that.
Specifically Cowell wants to “divide territories.” Here’s what Wikipedia says.
Dividing territories (also market division) is an agreement by two companies to stay out of each other’s way and reduce competition in the agreed-upon territories. It is one of several anti-competitive practices outlawed in the United States. The term is generally understood to include dividing customers as well.
I’m guessing by now someone’s told Cowell and we won’t be hearing any more from him on this. The story might just die. No harm, no foul.
Or maybe not.