Showing results for: “price gouging”
Wright v. Rule at Columbia Law on Google and Antitrust
Charles (“Rick”) Rule, who represents Microsoft and is the head of the antitrust practice at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, and I had an opportunity to debate the various antitrust issues involving Google and its search engine on last week. I didn’t have much of a chance to report here on the blog over the ... Wright v. Rule at Columbia Law on Google and Antitrust
Some Antitrust Links
Commissioner Rosch makes the case for cert in FTC v. Lundbeck Will Bill Baer (Arnold & Porter) replace Sharis Pozen at DOJ? (Bloomberg) Private suits follow as the FTC consent decree in Pool Corp “has spawned a batch of lawsuits in California, Louisiana and Florida over allegations that the company’s tactics drove up prices, stifled ... Some Antitrust Links
“Protecting” Consumers from the Truth About the Cost of Government
A new rule kicks in today requiring airlines to include all taxes and mandatory fees in their advertised fares. The rule, part of a broader “passengers’ bill of rights”-type regulation promulgated by the Department of Transportation, is being sold as a proconsumer mandate: It purportedly protects consumers from the sticker shock that results when they ... “Protecting” Consumers from the Truth About the Cost of Government
Stan Liebowitz on Piracy and Music Sales
Stan Liebowitz (UT-Dallas) offers a characteristically thoughtful and provocative op-ed in the WSJ today commenting on SOPA and the Protect IP Act. Here’s an excerpt: You may have noticed last Wednesday’s blackout of Wikipedia or Google’s strange blindfolded-logo screen. These were attempts to kill the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act, proposed ... Stan Liebowitz on Piracy and Music Sales
SOPA, Incentives and Efficiency
The fight over SOPA is about the ownership of intellectual property. Rights to intellectual property have two effects. The benefits of intellectual property are the incentives for creation. The costs are that after some work is created any price above marginal cost (which is often zero for digital property) will discourage valuable use. Every piece ... SOPA, Incentives and Efficiency
A “Reasonable Profits Board”? If Only It Were From the Onion…
A Congressional Bill proposing a “Reasonable Profits Board” so that profits on the sale of oil and gas in excess of what is “reasonable” can be subjected to a windfall tax. A brief description: According to the bill, a windfall tax of 50 percent would be applied when the sale of oil or gas leads ... A “Reasonable Profits Board”? If Only It Were From the Onion…
A Decision-Theoretic Approach to Insider Trading Regulation
Regular readers will know that several of us TOTM bloggers are fans of the “decision-theoretic” approach to antitrust law. Such an approach, which Josh and Geoff often call an “error cost” approach, recognizes that antitrust liability rules may misfire in two directions: they may wrongly acquit harmful practices, and they may wrongly convict beneficial (or ... A Decision-Theoretic Approach to Insider Trading Regulation
Divining a Regulator’s Intent
Regulated firms and their Washington lawyers study agency reports and public statements carefully to figure out the rules of the road; the clearer the rules, the easier it is for regulated firms to understand how the rules affect their businesses and to plan accordingly. So long as the regulator and the regulated firm are on ... Divining a Regulator’s Intent
Fed should stay out of Google/Twitter social search spat
As has become customary with just about every new product announcement by Google these days, the company’s introduction on Tuesday of its new “Search, plus Your World” (SPYW) program, which aims to incorporate a user’s Google+ content into her organic search results, has met with cries of antitrust foul play. All the usual blustering and ... Fed should stay out of Google/Twitter social search spat
The Economics of Being Able to Fire People Who Provide Me Services
Via Professor Bainbridge, I read today about the nonsense surrounding Mitt Romney enjoying firing people. I’m late to the this one, but here is the quote in context for anybody who missed it: “I want individuals to have their own insurance,” he said. “That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you ... The Economics of Being Able to Fire People Who Provide Me Services
Research Bleg: Competition Settlements With Conditions (Arguably) Contrary to Consumer Welfare
Judge Ginsburg and I are working on a project for an upcoming festschrift in honor of Bill Kovacic. The project involves the role of settlements in the pursuit of the goals of antitrust. In particular, we are looking for examples of antitrust settlements between competition agencies and private parties — in the U.S. or internationally ... Research Bleg: Competition Settlements With Conditions (Arguably) Contrary to Consumer Welfare
The Administration’s Rigorous Defense of the Affordable Care Act
In yesterday’s Washington Post, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius makes an impassioned plea for skeptics to reconsider the Affordable Care Act. Secretary Sebelius argues that the Act will bring down health care costs by, among other things, assisting those who cannot afford health insurance coverage. Although expanding health insurance coverage is a worthy ... The Administration’s Rigorous Defense of the Affordable Care Act
