Showing results for: “sirius xm merger”
On the Whole Foods Settlement
Thom kicked off discussion of the FTC and Whole Foods’ settlement on a critical note: It’s pretty impressive that the Commissioners were willing to stand their ground in the face of evidence that Whole Foods wasn’t earning monopoly profits, that numerous grocery retailers are moving toward the Whole Foods format, that there are obvious economies ... On the Whole Foods Settlement
Some Links
Pharma Mergers! The unintended consequences of disability law (Freakonomics) Posner on the Failure of Capitalism — a book I that I suspect will attract much attention Congratulations to Scott Kieff who is heading from Wash U to GW The FTC gets PI in CCC/Mitchell
Evans and Schmalensee Webinar on Two-Sided Markets
Here is a link to the latest Competition Policy International Webinar series on antitrust issues in two-sided markets by David Evans and Richard Schmalansee. Here is the course description: It is now widely recognized by antitrust and economic scholars that analyzing competitive practices such as mergers and abuse of dominance in two-sided industries requires special ... Evans and Schmalensee Webinar on Two-Sided Markets
Whole Foods Throws in the Towel — Congrats to the FTC!
The witch hunt is over. Last evening, the FTC announced that it would drop its antitrust action against high-end grocer Whole Foods in exchange for the chain’s agreement to sell 32 stores and to give up the rights to Wild Oats’ name. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz proclaimed that “[a]s a result of this settlement, American ... Whole Foods Throws in the Towel — Congrats to the FTC!
Varney on RPM
I just saw this very good piece in The Deal from Sean Gates and Tej Srimushnam (Morrison & Foerster) on what Christine Varney’s appointment to the Antitrust Division might mean for enforcement decisions. Gates and Srimushnam predict that some of the most important changes associated with the Varney DOJ are likely to be the “return” ... Varney on RPM
ALEA 2009 May 15-16 in San Diego
The program is available here. And I’m thrilled to report that my paper (with co-author Michael Baye), Is Antitrust Too Complicated for Generalist Judges: The Impact of Economic Complexity and Judicial Training on Appeals, has been selected for the conference. I’m very much looking forward to the panel and the conference in general. [UPDATE: Congratulations ... ALEA 2009 May 15-16 in San Diego
Perspectives on Ticketmaster/Live Nation
Links to the Congressional testimony are available here (including from Luke Froeb), an informative article in the WSJ, and another at MSNBC quoting Boston University’s Keith Hylton on the possibility that the post-merger firm would force sellers to reduce fees and pass-on lower ticket prices to consumers.
DOJ AAG Designate Christine Varney on Section 2, Europe, Google & A Puzzling Statement About Error Costs
Predicting what antitrust enforcement regimes in the current economic environment is a tricky business. I’ve done my best here. One probably cannot think of a better source for such predictions than those from the soon-to-be AAG Christine Varney, who recently spoke at an American Antitrust Institute panel on Section 2 enforcement (you can hear the ... DOJ AAG Designate Christine Varney on Section 2, Europe, Google & A Puzzling Statement About Error Costs
What's the Empirical Evidence on RPM?
I’ve been reading the papers for the FTC RPM Workshops, though I cannot attend. On the procompetitive side, I especially recommend Ben Klein’s explanation of how RPM facilitates the supply of promotional services in the absence of dealer free-riding. Critics of RPM, in my view, generally do not understand the fundamental economic point that retailer ... What's the Empirical Evidence on RPM?
Evans on Antitrust & the Global Internet Economy
From the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, David Evans explores the implications of the emerging global internet economy for antitrust. Here’s the closing two paragraphs: We can expect the web-based industries will follow the same trajectory, and thus far they have. Massive entry has taken place. As with many new industries, we remember the YouTubes ... Evans on Antitrust & the Global Internet Economy
Sirius-XM Merger Retrospective…
It looks like Sirius-XM is now contemplating bankruptcy (HT: Danny Sokol). There were quite a few critics of the Bush administration’s decision not to challenge the merger. Various antitrust commentators and critics (as well as rivals like the NAB) lined up on the side of enforcement, arguing that the merger would lead to a monopoly ... Sirius-XM Merger Retrospective…
Wanna Keep This Economic Mess to a Minimum? Honor Contracts.
New York Times business columnist Joe Nocera insists that current economic conditions call for courts to ignore carefully negotiated contracts between sophisticated business entities. Arguing that Dow Chemical Company should be free to walk away from its agreement to buy specialty chemical manufacturer Rohm & Haas, Mr. Nocera contends that “maybe, just maybe, deals that ... Wanna Keep This Economic Mess to a Minimum? Honor Contracts.