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Showing results for:  “digital markets act”

Regulate in Haste, Repent in Leisure: Reforming the Financial Regulatory Scheme

Today, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is set to present some comments about the Treasury’s Blueprint for Financial Regulatory Reform, released on Saturday.  (A summary of the proposal is here.) The summary of the proposal report provides:  “In this report, Treasury presents a series of “short-term” and “intermediate-term” recommendations that could immediately improve and reform the ... Regulate in Haste, Repent in Leisure: Reforming the Financial Regulatory Scheme

One More Thought on Ex Ante Competition and Merger Analysis

One last issue with respect to ex ante competition and merger analysis.  What if it could be demonstrated convincingly that XM and Sirius payments to automobile manufacturers. The DOJ hints at this possibility in the press release: XM and Sirius engaged in head-to-head competition for the right to distribute their products and services through each ... One More Thought on Ex Ante Competition and Merger Analysis

Competition for the Field, Sirius/XM and Shelf Space

Geoff and Paul like the result in XM/ Sirius but are puzzled by the DOJ press release, in particular as it pertains to analyzing ex ante competition, or “competition for the field,” in the form of payments to automobile manufacturers to adopt their services. Geoff thinks the DOJ’s press release contains some funny language appearing ... Competition for the Field, Sirius/XM and Shelf Space

Comment on "Barnett on Sirius-XM"

I can’t seem to get my comment on Geoff’s XM-Sirius post below to go through, so I’ll just post it: I would still disagree with the DOJ when they say “there is not likely to be significant competition…through the car manufacturer channel for many years.”  As mentioned, the exclusive contract is competition.  Even though they ... Comment on "Barnett on Sirius-XM"

Barnett on Sirius-XM

The Washington Post is reporting that the long-embattled Sirius/XM merger has received DOJ approval (FCC approval still pending) (HT: David Fischer).  About time, I’d say (it’s been two years).  See all of the ToTM posts on the topic here.  Opposition to this merger has been rooted in what, to me, is a tortured conception of ... Barnett on Sirius-XM

Are the Roberts Court Antitrust Decisions Really Pro-Business?

I’m a bit late to the party on Jeffrey Rosen’s provocative article in the NY Times Magazine claiming that the Supreme Court is biased in favor of businesses. For readers not familiar with Rosen’s claim, the basic assertion is that: With their pro-business jurisprudence, the justices may be capturing an emerging spirit of agreement among ... Are the Roberts Court Antitrust Decisions Really Pro-Business?

Public Choice and the Law Textbook

Todd Zywicki and Maxwell Stearns have a draft of their new textbook, “Public Choice Concepts and Applications in the Law,” available for review for profs that are interested in teaching with the manuscript this Fall 2008 or Spring 2009 term (the book is due to be published in 2009).  The book is designed for law ... Public Choice and the Law Textbook

All We Are Saying Is Give PeaceHealth a Chance.

Josh had a characteristically thoughtful post last week on safe harbors for loyalty and bundled discounts. I didn’t comment on the post, with which I generally agree, because I was busy writing an amicus brief (also signed by Dan Crane, Richard Epstein, Tom Morgan, and Danny Sokol) in an attempt to preserve a different safe ... All We Are Saying Is Give PeaceHealth a Chance.

New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer Will Resign

The news has just broken that New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer intends to resign on Monday.  This means that Lieutenant Governor, David Paterson, a relative unknown, will become the governor of New York State. More importantly, this means Joe Bruno, New York State Senate Majority Leader, will be tapped to “perform all the duties ... New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer Will Resign

EU Clears Google-Doubleclick

From the WSJ Online: The transaction had faced stiff opposition in Brussels from Google rivals including Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., as well as privacy advocates who fretted that a combined company would control a vast storehouse of data on Web users and their surfing habits. But European Commission antitrust officials early on ruled out ... EU Clears Google-Doubleclick

The Economics of $4300

Tyler Cowen invokes Klein and Leffler (1981) to explain the the apparently high price of paid by Client #9 for sex, arguing that high price in combination with the repeat purchase mechanism were part of a self-enforcement mechanism designed to assure performance (in this case, presumably, sex and secrecy). That the $4,300 represents a substantial ... The Economics of $4300

Thoughts on Safe Harbors for Quantity Discounts (and Bundling)

Dennis Carlton and Michael Waldman have posted an insightful DOJ working paper on antitrust safe harbors for unilateral conduct involving quantity discounts and bundling. The discussion is very timely in light of the Microsoft CFI decision, AMC Report, Section 2 Hearings, and various monopolization cases in the United States, EU, and other antitrust jurisdictions. The Carlton & Waldman ... Thoughts on Safe Harbors for Quantity Discounts (and Bundling)