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US: Houston strip clubs challenged in antitrust suit

By  |  October 14, 2019

An adult entertainment venue is suing the city of Houston, alleging that it is harmed because its competitors are immune to certain city rules regarding touch between entertainers and customers.

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    My Entertainment, doing business as Paradise City, filed a complaint on October 1 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas against the city of Houston alleging conspiracy, violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, violation of the Clayton Act, unlawful exclusive dealing, violation of Robinson-Patman Act, violation of Equal Protection Clause, and other counts.

    The plaintiff alleges it is a business entity formed to operate an adult entertainment-style of club without the display of human anatomy (it calls itself a bikini bar on its website). The plaintiff alleges that the city unlawfully permits only a select handful of adult entertainment establishments to operate with immunity from city ordinances regarding “no touch” and “3 feet” rules. The suit states this immunity stemmed from a 2013 settlement between 16 adult entertainment establishments and the city.

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