Infringement?
Possible infringement by other professions is one of the most important issues facing physical therapy today. This issue has been highlighted by the recent lawsuit filed against APTA by the NATA.
The APTA Website states, "The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) on February 1, 2008, filed a lawsuit against APTA and the Orthopaedic Section, APTA, Inc. in the U.S. District Court in Dallas. The complaint alleges that the APTA and the Section have violated the antitrust laws by seeking to deny athletic trainers (ATCs) access to the market for manual therapy and by coercing physical therapists to refrain from educating ATCs in certain techniques. APTA's counsel is currently reviewing the complaint. APTA believes that the NATA lawsuit is wholly without merit."
The link below details the sequence of events that has taken place, according to APTA. What are your thoughts about these developments?
The APTA has recently (Feb. 3, 2009) updated the status of this issue:
Update: NATA Lawsuit
Leaders of APTA and NATA met in Dallas on January 26, 2009, to talk about the possibility of settling the antitrust lawsuit brought by the NATA last February. APTA was represented by President Scott Ward, PT, PhD, CEO John Barnes, and staff and outside legal counsel. NATA was represented by its President Marje Albohm, Executive Director Eve Becker-Doyle, two other senior staff members, and outside legal counsel. Although the two sides did not reach agreement on the terms of a settlement, they will be communicating further.