Interchange Fees Symposium E-Book
Over at the International Center for Law and Economics website we’ve posted a link to a pdf e-book version of the collected content (including both posts and comments) from our recent “Interchange Fees and the Law and Economics of Credit Cards” symposium. Head on over and download a copy if you’re interested in a dead ... Interchange Fees Symposium E-Book
Competition in agriculture redux (cross-posted)
Antitrust & Competition Policy Blog is hosting a symposium on Competition in Agriculture. Mike’s post from yesterday is available here. So far in the symposium there are also posts by Ron Cass (BU Law), Jeff Harrison (Florida Law), Peter Carstensen (Wisconsin Law), and Kyle Stiegert (Wisconsin Applied Econ). Additional posts should be forthcoming from ... Competition in agriculture redux (cross-posted)
Amazon vs. Macmillan: It's all about control
The Amazon vs. Macmillan controversy has been beaten to a pulp in the blogosphere. See Megan McArdle, John Scalzi, Joshua Gans, Virginia Postrel, Lynne Kiesling, Lynne Kielsing and Lynne Kiesling, among others. Pulp or no (get it? It’s a book/e-book pun), I haven’t seen anyone hit squarely on what I think is the crux of ... Amazon vs. Macmillan: It's all about control
Posner cites Wright
I’m sure it’s an honor just to be nominated. A recent opinion from Judge Posner cites our very own Josh Wright (Joshua D. Wright & Todd J. Zywicki, “Three Problematic Truths About the Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act of 2009,” Lombard Street, Sept. 14, 2009, available here) (by the way, the essay has drawn a ... Posner cites Wright
Brad DeLong is an ethics-free partisan ass
Steve Horwitz writes a short, lay piece on crowding out and job creation. Brad “smacks down” Steve Horowitz. Russ Roberts amplifies Horwitz with a nice point about the dangers of aggregation. David Henderson notes that Brad misses what Horwitz is really saying. Brad DeLong “smacks down” Steve Horwitz again, not acknowledging any of the criticisms. ... Brad DeLong is an ethics-free partisan ass
Debunking the "pro-business" rationale for Section 5 enforcement
Repeating claims he made in his statement in Intel, Chairman Leibowitz in a recent interview in the Wall Street Journal has this to say about stepped-up Section 5 enforcement at the FTC: The courts have pared back plaintiffs’ rights in antitrust cases. They’re concerned about what they believe to be the toxic combination of class ... Debunking the "pro-business" rationale for Section 5 enforcement
The SEC gets that old time climate religion. Hallelujah, praise Gore.
Today the SEC voted 3-2 to approve an interpretive release offering guidance to companies on disclosure obligations as they relate to climate change. Commissioners Casey and Paredes voted to reject the proposed guidance. Everyone can agree that companies may have an obligation under Regulation S-K to disclose risks arising from, among other many things, climate ... The SEC gets that old time climate religion. Hallelujah, praise Gore.
Finally, some real help for California!
Oregonians, my fellow residents of the Beaver State (and, by the way, the only state in the Union with a different image on each side of its flag), voted yesterday to increase top marginal income tax rates and corporate tax rates, including minimum corporate tax rates and the addition of a tax on gross receipts. ... Finally, some real help for California!
Varney on the Merger Guidelines
Yesterday the final Horizontal Merger Guidelines Review workshop was held and, among other antitrust luminaries, our own Josh Wright participated. We look forward to a report from the front lines. Meanwhile, Assistant Attorney General Varney’s comments are available on the interwebs. Overall her remarks seem uncontroversial, especially following on the heels of the agency’s (surprising?) ... Varney on the Merger Guidelines
"In the long run, my friend, it's your theory that's dead"
Russ Roberts’ brilliant and eagerly-awaited Keynes vs. Hayek rap video is here. It’s the best economics pop music since Merle Hazzard. Here are the lyrics: We’ve been going back and forth for a century [Keynes] I want to steer markets, [Hayek] I want them set free There’s a boom and bust cycle and good reason ... "In the long run, my friend, it's your theory that's dead"
Note to Simon Johnson: I do not think antitrust means what you think it means
Simon Johnson is at it again, advocating the use of antitrust to break up the banks because they are, you know, big, and antitrust is about busting up big companies, right? As Josh suggested back in July, the idea is gaining momentum, it seems. The Financial Times is also pushing the idea. What’s remarkable about ... Note to Simon Johnson: I do not think antitrust means what you think it means
Monsanto's licensing case victory
As regular readers know, we’ve been following with (critical) interest the antitrust issues surrounding the seed industry in general and Monsanto in particular. See, for example posts by me or Mike here, here and here. As you may not know, Monsanto and Pioneer (a DuPont subsidiary) have been engaged in a heated contract and patent ... Monsanto's licensing case victory
