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The collection of all scholarly commentary on law, economics, and more

Showing results for:  “e-books”

The Second Circuit Misapplies the Per Se Rule in U.S. v. Apple

In its June 30 decision in United States v. Apple Inc., a three-judge Second Circuit panel departed from sound antitrust reasoning in holding that Apple’s e-book distribution agreement with various publishers was illegal per se. Judge Dennis Jacobs’ thoughtful dissent, which substantially informs the following discussion of this case, is worth a close read. In ... The Second Circuit Misapplies the Per Se Rule in U.S. v. Apple

New Heritage Foundation Publication on Saving Internet Freedom

Yesterday the Heritage Foundation released a series of essays on “Saving Internet Freedom.”  These analytical essays are an excellent reference work for interested members of the public who seek answers to those who claim the Internet requires new and intrusive government regulation.  The introduction to the essays highlights the topics they cover and summarizes their ... New Heritage Foundation Publication on Saving Internet Freedom

Spicy Documents Serve up a Paltry Antitrust Meal

There is always a temptation for antitrust agencies and plaintiffs to center a case around so-called “hot” documents — typically company documents with a snippet or sound-bites extracted, some times out of context. Some practitioners argue that “[h]ot document can be crucial to the outcome of any antitrust matter.” Although “hot” documents can help catch ... Spicy Documents Serve up a Paltry Antitrust Meal

From Today’s New York Times: Uber and Amazon

The Times seems to specialize in stories that use lots of economics but still miss the important points. Two examples from today: Stories about Uber, and about the dispute between Amazon and Hachette. UBER:  The article describes Uber’s using price changes to measure elasticity of demand, and more or less gets it right.  But it ... From Today’s New York Times: Uber and Amazon

Senator Markey’s Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013 Raises the Question: What’s the Point of COPPA?

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) continues to be a hot button issue for many online businesses and privacy advocates. On November 14, Senator Markey, along with Senator Kirk and Representatives Barton and Rush introduced the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013 to amend the statute to include children from 13-15 and add ... Senator Markey’s Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013 Raises the Question: What’s the Point of COPPA?

Joe Sims on First Principles of Section 5 Authority

I find that discussions on antitrust policy, if they are not to devolve into simple recitations of preferred industrial policy, are most focused when grounded in first principles and, frequently, a little history.  So a few words on both with respect to Section 5, starting with the history. The FTC Act, in addition to being ... Joe Sims on First Principles of Section 5 Authority

Why I think the Apple e-books antitrust decision will (or at least should) be overturned

On July 10 a federal judge ruled that Apple violated antitrust law by conspiring to raise prices of e-books when it negotiated deals with five major publishers. I’ve written on the case and the issues involved in it several times, including here, here, here and here. The most recent of these was titled, “Why I ... Why I think the Apple e-books antitrust decision will (or at least should) be overturned

Why I think the government will have a tough time winning the Apple e-books antitrust case

Trial begins today in the Southern District of New York in United States v. Apple (the Apple e-books case), which I discussed previously here. Along with co-author Will Rinehart, I also contributed an  essay to a discussion of the case in Concurrences (alongside contributions from Jon Jacobson and Mark Powell, among others). Much of my ... Why I think the government will have a tough time winning the Apple e-books antitrust case

Congratulations to FTC Commissioner Josh Wright

All of us here at TOTM are thrilled to announce that the Senate yesterday confirmed Josh Wright to be the next Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. As I wrote upon Josh’s nomination: Josh is widely regarded as the top antitrust scholar of his generation. He is the author of more than 50 scholarly articles and ... Congratulations to FTC Commissioner Josh Wright

“Google and Antitrust” roundtable at AALS

I will be participating in a wide-ranging discussion of Google and antitrust issues at the upcoming AALS meeting in New Orleans in January. The Antitrust and Economic Regulation Section of the AALS is hosting the roundtable, organized by Mike Carrier. Mike and I will be joined by Marina Lao, Frank Pasquale, Pam Samuelson, and Mark ... “Google and Antitrust” roundtable at AALS

The “Common Law Property” Myth in the Libertarian Critique of IP Rights (Part 1)

In libertarian critiques of intellectual property (IP) rights, such as copyrights and patents, it’s common to the hear the claim that “traditional property rights in land” is based in inductive, ground-up “common law court decisions,” but that IP rights are top-down, artificial statutory entitlements.  Thus, the argument goes, property rights in land are rooted solely ... The “Common Law Property” Myth in the Libertarian Critique of IP Rights (Part 1)

Josh Wright to be nominated to be next FTC Commissioner

Truth on the Market and the International Center for Law & Economics are delighted (if a bit saddened) to announce that President Obama intends to nominate Joshua Wright, Research Director and Member of the Board of Directors of ICLE and Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law, to be the next Commissioner ... Josh Wright to be nominated to be next FTC Commissioner