Japan FTC Warns Pro Baseball Body over Agent Rules

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Fair Trade Commission on Thursday warned an internal body of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization that rules preventing players from freely choosing their agents for contract negotiations could violate the antimonopoly law.

The professional baseball body drew up the rules and notified the 12 professional teams and players in November 2000. The rules have limited agents for players to lawyers and prohibited players from choosing lawyers who had already been picked by other players.

The body, placed under the NPB board and chaired by the NPB chairman in principle, decided to abolish the rules on Sept. 2 after the antitrust watchdog launched a review of the rules in August and found them to be an unfair activity restriction banned by the law.

JFTC senior investigator Ken Iwabuchi said at a press conference on Thursday that the abolition of the rules could lead to people in management activity becoming agents for players.

The baseball body said in a statement that the professional baseball teams will continue to comply with relevant laws and regulations and conduct contract negotiations with players in a fair and appropriate manner.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]