Allied Artists Picture Corp., and Avco Embassy Pictures Corp., Cross-Appellees v. James A. Rhodes, Cross-Appellant

MERRITT, Circuit Judge.

An Ohio statute regulating the marketing of motion pictures outlaws “blind bidding” and instead requires suppliers of motion pictures to screen their films in Ohio for all interested theater operators prior to negotiations or bidding. The second feature of the statute under attack is a set of competitive bidding guidelines. Although the statute allows producers and distributors to market films to exhibitors through negotiations rather than competitive bidding, the statute establishes guidelines for competitive bidding if distributors choose bidding as the method of…