CBS v. Stern Settlement
Newsday is reporting (HT: ContractsProf Blog) that CBS and Howard Stern are very near a settlement the dispute regarding Stern’s promotion of Sirius while employed at CBS.
Thoughts on the Economics of Lawyer Licensing
Larry Ribstein and Jonathan Wilson have an interesting exchange going regarding the merits of lawyer licensing. Larry actually has several posts on the subject (see, e.g., here, here, and a paper here). WSJ Law Blog has picked up the exchange, and offers a poll which asks the question: “Is Lawyer Licensing Necessary?” (Perhaps unsurprisingly for ... Thoughts on the Economics of Lawyer Licensing
Poker Robots?
Tim Harford’s article in the Financial Times (HT: Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution) contains the following quote from Darse Billings on the likelihood of a poker “robot” ever beating world class poker players: “I believe that bots will eventually play better than all human beings.” Poker superstar (and UCLA PhD) Chris Ferguson apparently agrees: “If ... Poker Robots?
GMU/ Mercatus Symposium: Anticompetitive Barriers to E-Commerce
GMU Law and the Mercatus Center are jointly presenting a symposium on “Anticompetitive Barriers to E-Commerce,” Wednesday, May 24th from 8 am to 5pm. The symposium announcement is here. The agenda is here. Kenneth Starr is the keynote speaker and will be presenting his thoughts on “The Commerce Clause and E-Commerce.” Other speakers tentatively listed ... GMU/ Mercatus Symposium: Anticompetitive Barriers to E-Commerce
An ALEA Report & Some Love for the Theorists …
I’m back from ALEA. I had a great time. Geoff and I hosted the first annual TOTM happy hour, I presented my paper (“Slotting Contracts and Consumer Welfare” … download it, you might like it), had the opportunity to meet a number of people that I had never met or knew only through blog interaction, ... An ALEA Report & Some Love for the Theorists …
Antitrust Souvenirs?
From the Antitrust Hotch Potch, a quote from a Microsoft antitrust lawyer referencing the fact that the stripped version of Windows (without the Media Player monopolistically integrated and forced upon consumers to their detriment … ) is being ordered by stores slightly less frequently than the “full” version of Windows, i.e. 1,787 copies versus 35 ... Antitrust Souvenirs?
From the Department of "If You Can't Beat 'Em …"
The WSJ is reporting that the American Gaming Association is relaxing its opposition to online gambling in the wake of several bills proposing to ban Internet gambling. The DOJ’s position has been that online gambling, and not just sports gambling, violates the Wire Act though at least one federal district court has disagreed. The AGA ... From the Department of "If You Can't Beat 'Em …"
Vernon Smith and David Porter on FCC License Auctions at GMU
GMU Law is hosting an event on Tuesday, May 2nd (at 4pm) entitled “FCC License Auctions: Lessons from a Tumultuous Twelve Years A Conversation with Vernon Smith and David Porter.” Here is the link with more information. This looks very interesting. Email Masha Khazan (mkhazan at gmu.edu) to reserve your spot.
Case Studies & Empirical Scholarship
I am heading to Harvard tomorrow for a conference, hosted by the Harvard Negotiation Law Review, on the value of case studies and the role of lawyers in deal making. Vic at the Glom has blogged about the conference here. The conference is organized around Vic Fleischer’s case study on the MasterCard IPO, and David ... Case Studies & Empirical Scholarship
Bernstein on the Law Deans, Tenure, and the ABA
My colleague David Bernstein at VC points out this article in Inside Higher Ed by Doug Lederman discussing the American Law Deans Association’s criticisms of the ABA’s imposition of requirements that go well beyond “assuring the quality of legal education.” Here’s David’s take: I can certainly see the case for law schools choosing to give ... Bernstein on the Law Deans, Tenure, and the ABA
The FCC Payola Probe Continues
The Federal Communications Commission has announced that it is stepping up efforts in its investigation of payola practices at four radio conglomerates: Clear Channel, CBS Radio, Entercom, and Citadel, and has issued former letters of inquiry. Bill pointed me to an article in the LA Times which reports that settlement talks with the four radio ... The FCC Payola Probe Continues
Do Slotting Contracts Harm Consumers?
Warning: shameless plug of my own research to follow! Slotting allowances, or payments for shelf space, have been a central part of my research agenda for the last several years. My work with Ben Klein, The Economics of Slotting Contracts, presents a procompetitive theoretical explanation (and some aggregate data in support of our theory) for ... Do Slotting Contracts Harm Consumers?
