Showing results for: “digital markets act”
Cass Sunstein Returns to Harvard
From the WSJ: White House regulatory chief Cass Sunstein is leaving his post this month to return to Harvard Law School, officials said Friday. Mr. Sunstein has long been an advocate of behavorial economics in setting policy, the notion that people will respond to incentives, and has argued for restraint in government regulations. As such, he was ... Cass Sunstein Returns to Harvard
E-cigarette taxation: Lessons from “sin taxes”
The Economist takes on “sin taxes” in a recent article, “‘Sin’ taxes—eg, on tobacco—are less efficient than they look.” The article has several lessons for policy makers eyeing taxes on e-cigarettes and other vapor products. Historically, taxes had the key purpose of raising revenues. The “best” taxes would be on goods with few substitutes (i.e., ... E-cigarette taxation: Lessons from “sin taxes”
Epstein on Posner’s “Patent Adventurism” in Apple v. Motorola
Richard Epstein replies to Judge Posner’s Apple v. Motorola opinion and follow-up article in The Atlantic. The anti-patent sentiment has just been fueled by a remarkable opinion by Judge Richard Posner, my long-time colleague at the University of Chicago, sitting as a trial judge in the major case, Apple v. Motorola. The high-profile case concerns five ... Epstein on Posner’s “Patent Adventurism” in Apple v. Motorola
Antitrust Sanctions in The Economist
In light of Barclays and other recent events, The Economist focuses on increasing corporate fines in response to price-fixing violations. That some firms behave badly is nothing new, but the response of the authorities has changed recently. Take cartels. Internationally, fines rose by a factor of one thousand between the 1990s and 2000s. Data from ... Antitrust Sanctions in The Economist
Goodhart and Bad Policy
[TOTM: The following is part of a blog series by TOTM guests and authors on the law, economics, and policy of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The entire series of posts is available here. This post is authored by Eric Fruits, (Chief Economist, International Center for Law & Economics).] Wells Fargo faces billions of dollars of ... Goodhart and Bad Policy
Leonhardt on the Age Gap
In today’s New York Times David Leonhardt has a pretty amazing article. He tells us that “polls suggest that Mitt Romney will win a landslide among the over-65 crowd and that President Obama will do likewise among those under 40.” He links to the Gallup Poll for this evidence. ( I generally don’t follow polls; ... Leonhardt on the Age Gap
Should the FTC Sue Google Over Search? A TechFreedom Debate This Friday
I will be speaking at a lunch debate in DC hosted by TechFreedom on Friday, September 28, 2012, to discuss the FTC’s antitrust investigation of Google. Details below. TechFreedom will host a livestreamed, parliamentary-style lunch debate on Friday September 28, 2012, to discuss the FTC’s antitrust investigation of Google. As the company has evolved, expanding outward from ... Should the FTC Sue Google Over Search? A TechFreedom Debate This Friday
Why the EU’s Google Android Antitrust Fine May Harm R&D and Innovation
Regardless of which standard you want to apply to competition law – consumer welfare, total welfare, hipster, or redneck antitrust – it’s never good when competition/antitrust agencies are undermining innovation. Yet, this is precisely what the European Commission is doing. Today, the agency announced a €4.34 billion fine against Alphabet (Google). It represents more than ... Why the EU’s Google Android Antitrust Fine May Harm R&D and Innovation
ICN Advocacy Workshop a Success
On November 1st and 2nd, Cofece, the Mexican Competition Agency, hosted an International Competition Network (ICN) workshop on competition advocacy, featuring presentations from government agency officials, think tanks, and international organizations. The workshop highlighted the excellent work that the ICN has done in supporting efforts to curb the most serious source of harm to the ... ICN Advocacy Workshop a Success
When Is Deception an Antitrust Offense? The FTC’s Unorthodox Case Against Google
Last week, the FTC hired outside litigator Beth Wilkinson to lead an investigation into Google’s conduct, which some in the press have interpreted as a grave sign for the search company. The FTC is reportedly interested in pursuing Google under Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits a firm from engaging in “unfair methods ... When Is Deception an Antitrust Offense? The FTC’s Unorthodox Case Against Google
Weekend reads: Big is bad edition
Big is bad, part 1: Kafka, Coase, and Brandeis walk into a bar … There’s a quip in a well-known textbook that Nobel laureate Ronald Coase said he’d grown weary of antitrust because when prices went up, the judges said it was monopoly; when the prices went down, they said it was predatory pricing; and ... Weekend reads: Big is bad edition
Will the European Commission Reduce the Incentive to Innovate?
The EC’s Android decision is expected sometime in the next couple of weeks. Current speculation is that the EC may issue a fine exceeding last year’s huge 2.4B EU fine for Google’s alleged antitrust violations related to the display of general search results. Based on the statement of objections (“SO”), I expect the Android decision ... Will the European Commission Reduce the Incentive to Innovate?
