Antitrust Claims Against LoJack Corp. Dismissed

A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed antitrust claims against a Massachusetts-based manufacturer of car security systems.

U.S. District Judge Harry L. Hupp ruled last month in a summary judgment that claims made by Clifford Electronics against LoJack Corp., the manufacturer of a vehicle recovery system that requires police department cooperation, were unfounded.

Clifford charged that LoJack’s system, in which antennae and tracking devices are provided to the Los Angeles Police Department and the County Sheriff’s Department, constitutes a monopoly. The commercial part of the system, a $600 transmitting device that is sold to the public, cannot be duplicated by competing companies, the complaint by Clifford stated.

Supporters of the LoJack system, including Police Chief Daryl F. Gates, have argued that rival firms are free to develop their own systems to compete with LoJack.