Showing results for: “price gouging”
The CARE Act and State Regulation of Alcohol Distribution: The Competitive and Social Effects of Post and Hold Laws
In an earlier post on the CARE Act, I highlighted the fact that the law would essentially immunize state laws regulating the distribution and sale of beer, wine and liquor wholesalers from challenge under the Commerce clause and the Sherman Act. For more details on the CARE Act, see the earlier post, but the bottom ... The CARE Act and State Regulation of Alcohol Distribution: The Competitive and Social Effects of Post and Hold Laws
What’s Missing from Tyler’s IO Reading List
Tyler Cowen has posted the reading list for his 2010 Industrial Organization class in the George Mason economics department. He asks for recommendations. Below the fold are my suggestions to supplement Section I or II of Cowen’s reading list. The first order of business is getting Coase, Klein, Crawford Alchian (1978), Alchian and Demsetz (1972) ... What’s Missing from Tyler’s IO Reading List
Market vs. regulatory incentives for whistleblowing
The Financial Times notes that New US whistleblowing incentives within the Dodd-Frank financial reform act – that could net informants multimillion dollar pay-outs – are likely to generate a surge in allegations against US-listed companies and Wall Street banks, lawyers say. * * *[F]inancial industry bodies and lawyers representing companies warned that the scale of ... Market vs. regulatory incentives for whistleblowing
Copyright Conundrum
Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari to Costco in the case of OMEGA SA v. Costco Wholesale Corp. (541 F. 3d 982 (2008)). At issue is whether the ‘first sale doctrine’ of US copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 109(a)), which limits the copyright owner’s ability to restrict distribution of ... Copyright Conundrum
The FTC Gets in Intel’s Business
One of the first reactions I had when reading the settlement is that it is quite striking how much and at what level of detail the settlement micro-manages Intel’s business decisions. Lets consider a just a handful of provisions and look at the language in the settlement. Again, I think these provisions should be read ... The FTC Gets in Intel’s Business
Who CAREs About Beer and Wine Consumers?
The Comprehensive Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness Act — yes, the “CARE Act” — or HR 5034, is a piece of legislation aimed at supporting “State-based alcohol regulation.” Recall the Supreme Court’s decision in Granholm v. Heald, which held that states could either allow in-state and out-of-state retailers to directly ship wine to consumers or could prohibit ... Who CAREs About Beer and Wine Consumers?
Apple and Amazon E-Book Most Favored Nation Clauses
Connecticut AG Richard Blumenthal has reportedly contacted Apple and Amazon concerning their pricing arrangements with publishers (WSJ, CNN): Mr. Blumenthal said he has sent letters to Amazon and Apple asking them to “meet with his office” to address his concerns that agreements in place may restrict rivals from offering cheaper e-books. For instance, he said, ... Apple and Amazon E-Book Most Favored Nation Clauses
Behavioral Economics and Consumer Financial Protection for “Nitwits”
In a recent NY Times column largely devoted to improving soccer in various ways and how those methods might be used to improve financial regulation as well, behavioral economist and Nudge author Richard Thaler writes the following about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “Above all, I’d urge the head of this agency to devise rules ... Behavioral Economics and Consumer Financial Protection for “Nitwits”
RIP, Earl Thompson
UCLA economist Earl Thompson passed away Thursday. Earl was a beloved figure in the economics department. I came to UCLA a bit late in the game to experience the years when his presence was largest, though I had the pleasure of speaking with him on a number of occasions and he attended a recent talk ... RIP, Earl Thompson
Intel Settlement Watch Part II
While Intel Corporation nears its settlement deadline with the Federal Trade Commission, it received good news from a federal district court in Delaware evaluating the evidence of alleged consumer harm from the discounts Intel offers to buyers. It is also very important to note that this pass from a US court applying standards of consumer ... Intel Settlement Watch Part II
More on Elizabeth Warren on Theory and Interpreting Data
With all the talk about the CFPB, Elizabeth Warren has been in the news lately. The blogs too. Most of the discussion has been about whether or not Timothy Geithner is a friend or foe to the Democrats’ preferred option of getting Warren nominated as the first chief of the CFPB. Today, Megan McArdle started ... More on Elizabeth Warren on Theory and Interpreting Data
The SEC’s strike suit
The SEC is heralding the $550 million settlement in its suit against Goldman as “the largest penalty ever assessed against a financial services firm in the history of the SEC,” and “a stark lesson to Wall Street firms that no product is too complex, and no investor too sophisticated, to avoid a heavy price if ... The SEC’s strike suit
