Showing results for: “digital markets act”
What is a search engine?
What is a search engine? This might seem like an innocuous question, but it lies at the heart of the US Department of Justice and state Attorneys’ General antitrust complaint against Google, as well as the European Commission’s Google Search and Android decisions. It is also central to a report published by the UK’s Competition ... What is a search engine?
The Fox and Shepherd Problem
I spent a lot of time with this topic when writing a book (How the Internet Became Commercial, 2015, Princeton Press). If I have something unique to add to a review of Petit’s book, it comes from the role Microsoft played in the events in my book. Many commentators have speculated on what precise charges ... The Fox and Shepherd Problem
Diversification Is At The Heart Of Competition
In his chapter 4, Petit lays out how this works with six of today’s large high-tech companies, adding Netflix to the usual Big Five of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. If I understand properly, what he means by “moligopoly” is that these large firms have their hands in many different relevant markets. Because they ... Diversification Is At The Heart Of Competition
It’s All About What We Don’t Know
Nicolas Petit’s Big Tech and the Digital Economy: The Moligopoly Scenario provides an insightful and valuable antidote to this unease. While neither Panglossian nor comprehensive, Petit’s analysis persuasively argues that some of the concerns about the platforms are misguided or at least overstated. As Petit sees it, the platforms are not so much monopolies in ... It’s All About What We Don’t Know
Symposium on Big Tech and the Digital Economy: The Moligopoly Scenario
Confirmed Participants As in the past (see examples of previous TOTM blog symposia here), we’ve lined up an outstanding and diverse group of scholars to discuss these issues, including: Kelly Fayne, Antitrust Associate, Latham & Watkins Shane Greenstein, Professor of Business Administration; Co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative, Harvard Business School Peter Klein, Professor of ... Symposium on Big Tech and the Digital Economy: The Moligopoly Scenario
Symposium on Big Tech and the Digital Economy: The Moligopoly Scenario
In his book, Petit offers a “moligopoly” framework for understanding competition between large tech companies that may have significant market shares in their ‘home’ markets but nevertheless compete intensely in adjacent ones. Petit argues that tech giants coexist as both monopolies and oligopolies in markets defined by uncertainty and dynamism, and offers policy tools for ... Symposium on Big Tech and the Digital Economy: The Moligopoly Scenario
Regulating Big Tech Will Hurt Small Business
The writing is on the wall for Big Tech: regulation is coming. At least, that is what the House Judiciary Committee’s report into competition in digital markets would like us to believe. The Subcommittee’s Majority members, led by Rhode Island’s Rep. David Cicilline, are calling for a complete overhaul of America’s antitrust and regulatory apparatus. ... Regulating Big Tech Will Hurt Small Business
Conservatism and the Section 230 Debate: Applying First Principles
Over at the Federalist Society’s blog, there has been an ongoing debate about what to do about Section 230. While there has long-been variety in what we call conservatism in the United States, the most prominent strains have agreed on at least the following: Constitutionally limited government, free markets, and prudence in policy-making. You would ... Conservatism and the Section 230 Debate: Applying First Principles
A Law & Economics Perspective on Ruth Bader Ginsburg
With the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, many have already noted her impact on the law as an advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, her importance as a role model for women, and her civility. Indeed, a key piece of her legacy is that she was a jurist in the classic sense of ... A Law & Economics Perspective on Ruth Bader Ginsburg
In the Fight Against Qualcomm, Apple’s Loss is Apple’s Gain
Apple’s legal team will be relieved that “you reap what you sow” is just a proverb. After a long-running antitrust battle against Qualcomm unsurprisingly ended in failure, Apple now faces antitrust accusations of its own (most notably from Epic Games). Somewhat paradoxically, this turn of events might cause Apple to see its previous defeat in ... In the Fight Against Qualcomm, Apple’s Loss is Apple’s Gain
Rising Concentration: Drifters Followup Is Worse Than the Original
Germán Gutiérrez and Thomas Philippon have released a major rewrite of their paper comparing the U.S. and EU competitive environments. Although the NBER website provides an enticing title — “How European Markets Became Free: A Study of Institutional Drift” — the paper itself has a much more yawn-inducing title: “How EU Markets Became More Competitive ... Rising Concentration: Drifters Followup Is Worse Than the Original
How does antitrust measure nonprice effects like political bias?
In the latest congressional hearing, purportedly analyzing Google’s “stacking the deck” in the online advertising marketplace, much of the opening statement and questioning by Senator Mike Lee and later questioning by Senator Josh Hawley focused on an episode of alleged anti-conservative bias by Google in threatening to demonetize The Federalist, a conservative publisher, unless they ... How does antitrust measure nonprice effects like political bias?
