Tim Wu to the FTC: What does it mean?
As you may have heard, Columbia lawprof and holder of the dubious distinction of having originated the term and concept of Net Neutrality, Tim Wu, is headed to the FTC as a senior advisor. Curiously, his guest stint runs for only about four and a half months. As the WSJ reports: Mr. Wu, 38, will ... Tim Wu to the FTC: What does it mean?
My blackberry’s not working and other extended puns
Having just discovered Kellogg economist Shane Greenstein’s blog, I have also now just discovered on his blog this super-hilarious video. Well worth a watch through to the end:
On the ethical dimension of l’affair hiybbprqag
Former TOTM blog symposium participant Joshua Gans (visiting Microsoft Research) has a post at TAP on l’affair hiybbprqag, about which I blogged previously here. Gans notes, as I did, that Microsoft is not engaged in wholesale copying of Google’s search results, even though doing so would be technologically feasible. But Gans goes on to draw ... On the ethical dimension of l’affair hiybbprqag
Microsoft undermines its own case
One of my favorite stories in the ongoing saga over the regulation (and thus the future) of Internet search emerged earlier this week with claims by Google that Microsoft has been copying its answers–using Google search results to bolster the relevance of its own results for certain search terms. The full story from Internet search ... Microsoft undermines its own case
Lynn Stout on “criminogenic” hedge funds and insider trading
Lynn Stout, writing in the Harvard Business Review’s blog, claims that hedge funds are uniquely “criminogenic” environments. (Not surprisingly, Frank Pasquale seems reflexively to approve): My research, shows that people’s circumstances affect whether they are likely to act prosocially. And some hedge funds provided the circumstances for encouraging an antisocial behavior like not obeying the ... Lynn Stout on “criminogenic” hedge funds and insider trading
Why can’t we have a better press corps?: WaPo Google antitrust edition
Steven Pearlstein at the Washington Post asks if it’s “Time to loosen Google’s grip.” The article is an analytical mess. Pearlstein is often a decent business reporter–I’m not sure what went wrong here, but this is a pretty shoddy piece of antitrust journalism. For the most part, the article is a series of tired claims ... Why can’t we have a better press corps?: WaPo Google antitrust edition
The non-constitutional problem with a health care mandate
There’s been much teeth-gnashing following yesterday’s ruling by a Virginia judge that the “individual mandate” portion of Obamacare is unconstitutional. Among many other places, see the ongoing discussion at The Volokh Conspiracy. I have a quick, non-constitutional response. It seems to me that there is a basic, deep problem with prohibiting citizens from opting out ... The non-constitutional problem with a health care mandate
Geoffrey Manne on Interesting doesn’t necessarily mean policy relevant
Geoffrey A. Manne is Executive Director of the International Center for Law & Economics and Lecturer in Law at Lewis & Clark Law School The problem with behavioral law and economics (and its behavioral economics cousin) is not that it has nothing interesting to say, but rather that the interesting things it has to say ... Geoffrey Manne on Interesting doesn’t necessarily mean policy relevant
Correcting Herb Kohl (and Kayak and Bing Travel . . .) on Google/ITA
Today comes news that Senator Kohl has sent a letter to the DOJ urging “careful review” of the proposed Google/ITA merger. Underlying his concerns (or rather the “concerns raised by a number of industry participants and consumer advocates that I believe warrant careful review”) is this: Many of ITA’s customers believe that access to ITA’s ... Correcting Herb Kohl (and Kayak and Bing Travel . . .) on Google/ITA
The EU tightens the noose around Google
Here we go again. The European Commission is after Google more formally than a few months ago (but not yet having issued a Statement of Objections). For background on the single-firm antitrust issues surrounding Google I modestly recommend my paper with Josh, Google and the Limits of Antitrust: The Case Against the Antitrust Case Against ... The EU tightens the noose around Google
More on EchoStar’s questionable litigation tactics
The day before yesterday I posted on the fascinating and important TiVo v. EchoStar case. Today I wanted to follow up with some, let’s say, color commentary on EchoStar’s litigation tactics. This isn’t dispositive, of course, but it does seem to add some insight into the notion that EchoStar is taking advantage of questionable litigation ... More on EchoStar’s questionable litigation tactics
TiVo v. EchoStar: A study in abusing the courts instead of just respecting the patent
On November 9, the en banc US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit heard oral arguments in an extremely important patent infringement case (mp3 of oral argument here). Hanging in the balance are the very incentives for technological innovation and the seeds of economic progress. The arguments made in the case by the infringer, ... TiVo v. EchoStar: A study in abusing the courts instead of just respecting the patent
