Showing results for: “price gouging”
FTC sacrifices the rule of law for more flexibility; Commissioner Ohlhausen wisely dissents
On July 31 the FTC voted to withdraw its 2003 Policy Statement on Monetary Remedies in Competition Cases. Commissioner Ohlhausen issued her first dissent since joining the Commission, and points out the folly and the danger in the Commission’s withdrawal of its Policy Statement. The Commission supports its action by citing “legal thinking” in favor of heightened ... FTC sacrifices the rule of law for more flexibility; Commissioner Ohlhausen wisely dissents
GMU Law & Economics Center Presents “Unlocking the Law: Building on the Work of Professor Larry Ribstein”
I’m very pleased to announce the George Mason Law & Economics Center is hosting a program focusing on our friend and colleague Larry Ribstein’s scholarship on the market for law. Henry Butler and Bruce Kobayashi have put together a really wonderful program of folks coming together not to celebrate Larry’s work — but to ... GMU Law & Economics Center Presents “Unlocking the Law: Building on the Work of Professor Larry Ribstein”
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
Why Roberts’ Tax Reasoning Ultimately Damns the Affordable Care Act (But Not in a Good Way)
There’s great irony in Chief Justice Roberts’ reasoning in the recent Affordable Care Act ruling. In reading the ACA to impose a tax for failure to carry health insurance, thereby assuring the Act’s constitutionality, Justice Roberts also doomed the Act to failure. Let me explain. As the government repeatedly stressed, the individual mandate (now interpreted as a disjunctive order either to carry health insurance ... Why Roberts’ Tax Reasoning Ultimately Damns the Affordable Care Act (But Not in a Good Way)
UMG-EMI Deal Is No Threat To Innovation In Music Distribution
Everyone loves to hate record labels. For years, copyright-bashers have ranted about the “Big Labels” trying to thwart new models for distributing music in terms that would make JFK assassination conspiracy theorists blush. Now they’ve turned their sites on the pending merger between Universal Music Group and EMI, insisting the deal would be bad for ... UMG-EMI Deal Is No Threat To Innovation In Music Distribution
Contemplating Disclosure-Based Insider Trading Regulation
TOTM friend Stephen Bainbridge is editing a new book on insider trading. He kindly invited me to contribute a chapter, which I’ve now posted to SSRN (download here). In the chapter, I consider whether a disclosure-based approach might be the best way to regulate insider trading. As law and economics scholars have long recognized, informed stock trading may create both harms and benefits ... Contemplating Disclosure-Based Insider Trading Regulation
Wise and Timely Counsel from John Taylor, F.A. Hayek, and Reagan’s Economic Advisers
In light of yesterday’s abysmal jobs report, yesterday’s Wall Street Journal op-ed by Stanford economist John B. Taylor (Rules for America’s Road to Recovery) is a must-read. Taylor begins by identifying what he believes is the key hindrance to economic recovery in the U.S.: In my view, unpredictable economic policy—massive fiscal “stimulus” and ballooning debt, the Federal ... Wise and Timely Counsel from John Taylor, F.A. Hayek, and Reagan’s Economic Advisers
Apple Responds to the DOJ e-Books Complaint
Apple has filed its response to the DOJ Complaint in the e-books case. Here is the first paragraph of the Answer: The Government’s Complaint against Apple is fundamentally flawed as a matter of fact and law. Apple has not “conspired” with anyone, was not aware of any alleged “conspiracy” by others, and never “fixed prices.” ... Apple Responds to the DOJ e-Books Complaint
From the Thursday May 24 Wall Street Journal
In criticizing Governor Romney’s involvement with Bain Capital, President Obama commented both on private equity and on profit maximization. Most of the comments I have seen dealt with the private equity. I thought a comment on profit maximization was important as well. OPINION Updated May 23, 2012, 7:51 p.m. ET A Tutorial for the President ... From the Thursday May 24 Wall Street Journal
A Two-Tier Plan By Any Other Name?
Paul Fain has an interesting update today on the issue of two-tier pricing for California’s community college system. Santa Monica College rocked the boat in March when it announced plans to start using a two-tier pricing schedule that would charge higher tuition rates for high-demand courses. Santa Monica–and most all community colleges in California apparently–have ... A Two-Tier Plan By Any Other Name?
The Economics of Drip Pricing at the FTC
The FTC is having a conference in the economics of drip pricing: Drip pricing is a pricing technique in which firms advertise only part of a product’s price and reveal other charges later as the customer goes through the buying process. The additional charges can be mandatory charges, such as hotel resort fees, or fees ... The Economics of Drip Pricing at the FTC
Taxing Regulatory Failure
Last month, the IRS and the US Treasury Department issued proposed rules to implement a new tax on health insurance providers and self-insured groups. The tax is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and will be used to help fund the new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which will conduct research ... Taxing Regulatory Failure
