Showing results for: “digital markets act”
Robert Gertner on Revising the Guidelines
The stated purpose of the DOJ/FTC Horizontal Merger Guidelines is to “reduce the uncertainty associated with enforcement of the antitrust laws.” The Guidelines have had limited success in achieving this goal. They generally succeed in two important dimensions and fail in one. First, the Guidelines lay out a five step analysis consisting of market definition, ... Robert Gertner on Revising the Guidelines
Merger Enforcement Without Market Definition?
The Horizontal Merger Guidelines have brought discipline to the unruly world of merger analysis; but have also accommodated advances in our understanding of the myriad ways in which firms compete and how mergers affect such competition. However, in cases where there is better information about the effects of the merger than there is about the ... Merger Enforcement Without Market Definition?
Dennis Carlton on Revising the Merger Guidelines
1. Do the Guidelines need revision? The Horizontal Merger Guidelines have served a very valuable purpose by making horizontal merger analysis much more sensible than it was prior to the 1980s.There is much less disagreement about horizontal merger policy than there is about vertical antitrust policy so some vertical guidelines would be especially welcome. Nevertheless, ... Dennis Carlton on Revising the Merger Guidelines
Welcome to the Truth on the Market Merger Guidelines Symposium
With the recent DOJ and FTC announcement that they will solicit public comment and hold joint workshops to explore the possibility of “updating” the Horizontal Merger Guidelines (“HMG”) in December 2009 and January 2010, the attention of the antitrust community has turned away from the heated Section 2 debates (the subject of our last symposium) ... Welcome to the Truth on the Market Merger Guidelines Symposium
Learning to Love Insider Trading
Today’s Wall Street Journal includes a terrific article explaining why insider trading should be deregulated. Following up on last week’s high-profile insider trading charges, George Mason economist Don Boudreaux, whose Cafe Hayek posts are essential reading, succinctly sets forth the deregulatory position (which was first and most famously articulated by Geoff’s dad, Henry Manne). Boudreaux ... Learning to Love Insider Trading
American Booksellers Association Advances Bad Antitrust Argument, But Who Can Blame Them?
The WSJ Reports that the American Booksellers Association has knocked on Christine Varney’s door at the Antitrust Division to complain about the new low prices resulting from the price war between Amazon, Target and Wal-Mart. The complaint? In a letter dated Oct. 22, the ABA said it believes that the discount pricing—which has led to ... American Booksellers Association Advances Bad Antitrust Argument, But Who Can Blame Them?
Intellectual Property, Standard Setting, and the Limits of Antitrust
[Cross-posted at TalkStandards.com, a blog devoted on standards and related issues] One of the most significant challenges facing competition policy today is defining the appropriate role of antitrust law within the context of intellectual property right licensing by standard-setting organizations (“SSOs”). Many commentators believe it is necessary to apply the full force of the antitrust ... Intellectual Property, Standard Setting, and the Limits of Antitrust
Forget California. Command and control in spades at the Treasury
Well, he warned us. But now that it’s here it sounds so incredible. Under the plan, which will be announced in the next few days by the Treasury Department, the seven companies that received the most assistance [from the various US government bailouts] will have to cut the cash payouts to their 25 best-paid executives ... Forget California. Command and control in spades at the Treasury
Command and control in California. Shocking.
In a move stupider even than Chicago’s foie gras and trans fat bans (on which see Thom here), California appears to be set to ban . . . wait for it . . . big TVs. Environmentalists, those growing enemies of freedom and common sense everywhere, are pushing the ban because large-screen TVs use a ... Command and control in California. Shocking.
Babies-R-Us and the Case Against a Presumption of Illegality for Retailer-Initiated RPM
According to the Wall Street Journal, the FTC is investigating whether retailer Toys-R-Us has violated the antitrust laws by inducing certain manufacturers to set minimum resale prices for their products (i.e., to engage in resale price maintenance, or “RPM”). The Journal first reports that the Commission “is investigating whether [Toys-R-Us] may have violated an 11-year-old ... Babies-R-Us and the Case Against a Presumption of Illegality for Retailer-Initiated RPM
The Limits of Antitrust in the New Economy
Josh and I have just posted a draft of our new article, The Limits of Antitrust in the New Economy. We’ll be presenting it at the Searle Center Research Roundtable on the 25th Anniversary of Frank Easterbrook’s essential article, The Limits of Antitrust, next week. Here’s the abstract: This paper offers an opportunity to reflect ... The Limits of Antitrust in the New Economy
Response to Steve Salop on credit card antitrust
Steve’s post responding to me and Josh on antitrust exemptions and buyer cartels raised a number of interesting issues. A few points in response: 1. Constantine’s book is quite a measured look at the case (not). I love how he risked everything — everything! — for the case. He and the country’s other contingency fee ... Response to Steve Salop on credit card antitrust
