Showing archive for: “Antitrust”
Pump and Circumstance: The Politics of Italy’s Fuel-Price Caps
The Italian government is claiming a victory at the pump. Eni, the country’s largest oil company, has announced a 30-day cap on retail fuel prices. Italy’s second-largest fuel retailer, IP, controlled by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (Socar), followed suit, as did the third-largest, Q8. Smaller rivals warn that the caps could squeeze ... Pump and Circumstance: The Politics of Italy’s Fuel-Price Caps
Gotta Catch ’Em All? Antitrust and the AI Talent Wars
The AI talent wars have produced a steady stream of stories that seem tailor-made to confirm everyone’s worst suspicions about Big Tech: nine-figure pay packages for star researchers, entire startup teams absorbed without a formal acquisition, and—most strikingly—reports of elite AI scientists paid handsomely to do nothing for a year under “garden leave” arrangements rather ... Gotta Catch ’Em All? Antitrust and the AI Talent Wars
The FTC’s Robinson-Patman Hangover
There is no special virtue in seeing a bad case through to the bitter end. At some point, persistence looks less like principle and more like a sunk cost with a docket number. Last week, I wrote about the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) appeal in FTC v. Meta Platforms. The appeal seems to me a ... The FTC’s Robinson-Patman Hangover
In Space, No One Can See Your HHI
Two rocket companies walk into an antitrust review. They leave as a de facto monopoly. And somehow, the punchline may be that this was good for consumers, taxpayers, and maybe even competition. A little context. In 2006, Boeing and Lockheed Martin combined their launch divisions into a joint venture called United Launch Alliance (ULA). That’s ... In Space, No One Can See Your HHI
No-Fly Zone: Why AI Doesn’t Need Helicopter Regulation
When a new product or service appears, some public officials default to helicopter regulation. The instinct to “do something, anything” rarely pays off—just ask helicopter parents and their kids. An overbearing approach drains the finite resources of lawmakers, enforcement agencies, and innovators. The public bears the cost: officials fixate on a single issue instead of ... No-Fly Zone: Why AI Doesn’t Need Helicopter Regulation
The Waterbed Effect Doesn’t Hold Water
A familiar concern in antitrust-adjacent debates goes like this: when a company such as Walmart grows large enough, it can strong-arm suppliers into steep discounts. Suppliers, in turn, recoup those lost margins by charging smaller grocery stores more. Those smaller stores raise prices. The big chain’s gains come at everyone else’s expense—prices fall on one ... The Waterbed Effect Doesn’t Hold Water
AI’s Scientific Ethos and the Moat That Wouldn’t Hold
Google may have built the foundation of the modern AI economy—and then published the instructions. In 2017, eight researchers across Google’s Brain and Research divisions released a paper titled “Attention Is All You Need.” What followed is now familiar: a technological inflection point, rapid diffusion, and an explosion of competitors building on the same core ... AI’s Scientific Ethos and the Moat That Wouldn’t Hold
17 Million Pairings, Zero Proof
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) lawsuit against Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits looks increasingly like a case in search of both a theory—and the facts to support it. In FTC v. Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the FTC alleges that the distributor violated the Robinson-Patman Act by offering better prices to some retailers than others, ... 17 Million Pairings, Zero Proof
When Antitrust Meets National Security and Gets It Right
For months, the antitrust bar has focused on Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s proposed merger with Juniper Networks. Critics—including several state attorneys general—argue that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approved a modified deal for political reasons, rather than on the merits of the antitrust and national security analysis. Ongoing Tunney Act proceedings tell a different story. ... When Antitrust Meets National Security and Gets It Right
Antitrust Encore: When a Settlement Isn’t the End of the Show
The Live Nation/Ticketmaster antitrust trial now presents a paradox. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reportedly has settled its claims, yet the litigation continues—with a skeptical judge and 32 state plaintiffs still pressing for a breakup. That unusual posture raises deeper concerns about economics, separation of powers, and the limits of antitrust federalism. U.S. District ... Antitrust Encore: When a Settlement Isn’t the End of the Show
Antitrust at the Agencies: Vacaturs and Vacancies Edition
Gail Slater has left the building. And that’s a shame, I think. On Feb. 12, Slater posted the following on X: It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today. It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role. Huge thanks to ... Antitrust at the Agencies: Vacaturs and Vacancies Edition
The Right Approach to Reviewing Netflix-Warner Bros
Ahead of tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee hearing, a group of former federal antitrust enforcers sent an open letter to the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) and the full Judiciary Committee urging a consumer-welfare-focused review of the proposed Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The letter rejects the progressive analytical framework advanced during the prior administration and calls ... The Right Approach to Reviewing Netflix-Warner Bros
