Showing results for: “digital markets act”
Response to Comments on Antitrust Exemptions and Joint Monopsony Conduct to Countervail Monopoly Power
In response to my first post on joint monopsony conduct to countervail monopoly power, Mike Ward raises the issue of justifying a merger among sellers on the basis that it will countervail alleged monopsony power. Labor unions have an antitrust exemption for just that purpose. In terms of merger policy, Tom Campbell has written an ... Response to Comments on Antitrust Exemptions and Joint Monopsony Conduct to Countervail Monopoly Power
Of Broken Windows and Broken Policy
Today the Obama administration announced with great pride that its economic stimulus plan created or saved about 650,000 jobs. “Thank goodness!” reads the subtext. If not for all those new and protected jobs, the unemployment numbers would be really bad! It appears no one in the administration’s economic advisory team has heard of Frédéric Bastiat. ... Of Broken Windows and Broken Policy
Off to the Mason LEC Economic Institute for Law Professors
Off to Estes Park for the return of the Mason Law and Economics Center Economic Institute for Law Professors (agenda here) and Law Institute for Economic Professors (agenda here). I will be team-teaching microeconomics in the Economics Institute with friend and co-author Mike Baye (Indiana) for the first few days — and then some vacation. ... Off to the Mason LEC Economic Institute for Law Professors
Rhetoric Versus Reality, Part II
President Barack Obama, June 1, 2009: What we are not doing, what I have no interest in doing, is running GM. GM will be run by a private board of directors and management team with a track record in American manufacturing that reflects a commitment to innovation and quality. They, and not the government, will ... Rhetoric Versus Reality, Part II
The War Against Affordable Books
Last week Josh discussed the American Booksellers’ Association’s effort to get the Justice Department to pursue antitrust charges against Walmart, Target, and Amazon for engaging in a vigorous, consumer-benefiting price war. In today’s Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby has a nice piece highlighting a bit more of the Association’s tortured logic. (HT: Don Boudreaux.) Apparently, these ... The War Against Affordable Books
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
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
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.
The Trespass Fallacy in Patent Law
Thank you to Josh for inviting me to guest blog on Truth on the Market. As my first blog posting, I thought TOTM readers would enjoy reading about my latest paper that I posted to SSRN, which has been getting some attention in the blogosphere (see here and here). It’s a short, 17-page essay — see, ... The Trespass Fallacy in Patent Law
Justice Roberts Disses Economists
I’ve got nothing to add on the substantive merits of today’s big decision – but the following line got my attention: To an economist, perhaps, there is no difference between activity and inactivity; both have measurable economic effects on commerce. But the distinction between doing something and doing nothing would not have been lost on the ... Justice Roberts Disses Economists
Eric Goldman on the role and importance of Section 230 immunity
For those who follow these things (and for those who don’t but should!), Eric Goldman just posted an excellent short essay on Section 230 immunity and account terminations. Here’s the abstract: An online provider’s termination of a user’s online account can be a major-and potentially even life-changing-event for the user. Account termination exiles the user ... Eric Goldman on the role and importance of Section 230 immunity
