AN UNUSUAL ANTITRUST lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday against the maker and distributor of luxury Birkin handbags.

The class action alleges that Hermes International, a French company that sells luxury apparel, jewelry and leather goods, and its U.S. subsidiary have violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by requiring customers interested in its high-end handbags to buy other Hermes products before being allowed to buy a Birkin.

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Joe Dworetzky is a second career journalist. He practiced law in Philadelphia for more than 35 years, representing private and governmental clients in commercial litigation and insolvency proceedings. Joe served as City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia under Mayor Ed Rendell and from 2009 to 2013 was one of five members of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission with responsibility for managing the city’s 250 public schools. He moved to San Francisco in 2011 and began writing fiction and pursuing a lifelong interest in editorial cartooning. Joe earned a Master’s in Journalism from Stanford University in 2020. He covers Legal Affairs and writes long form Investigative stories. His occasional cartooning can be seen in Bay Area Sketchbook. Joe encourages readers to email him story ideas and leads at joe.dworetzky@baycitynews.com.