Showing archive for: “Tying & Bundling”
Brazil’s Digital Markets Bill: A DMA Through the Back Door?
The Brazilian government’s executive branch hosted a political ceremony last week in which it unveiled its “Digital Brazil Agenda,” which proposes six government projects to build a “safer, more competitive, and more innovative digital environment.” The most high-profile of these was the Digital Child and Teenager Act, which would set rules for how social-media platforms ... Brazil’s Digital Markets Bill: A DMA Through the Back Door?
OECD Cloud-Computing Competition Study Offers Solutions in Search of a Problem
A recent Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) policy paper on competition in cloud computing frames the sector as fragile, with an imminent threat of anticompetitive behavior. As the paper notes, 70-80% of the global cloud share is controlled by Microsoft, AWS (Amazon Web Services), and Google. This paints the picture of a concentrated ... OECD Cloud-Computing Competition Study Offers Solutions in Search of a Problem
The View from Taiwan: A TOTM Q&A with Andy Chen
Andy, could you please tell us about your professional background? I am a law professor with an SJD degree from Northwestern University in the United States. My field of study is antitrust law and law & economics. From 2007-2010, I served as commissioner of the Taiwan Fair Trade Commission (TFTC). After that, I resumed my ... The View from Taiwan: A TOTM Q&A with Andy Chen
The View from Brazil: A TOTM Q&A with Gustavo Augusto Freitas de Lima
Gustavo, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your professional background? I’m a law practitioner with a master’s degree in law and public policy, specializing in constitutional and administrative law. I served as a federal attorney and litigator before the Brazilian Supreme Court and was appointed by the attorney general as the ... The View from Brazil: A TOTM Q&A with Gustavo Augusto Freitas de Lima
Beyond Market Definition: Key Economic Concepts in FTC v Amazon
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust suit against Amazon, originally filed in October 2023, is scheduled for trial in October 2026. While we’ve previously explored the market-definition questions at the center of this case, several other economic concepts will be equally important in determining whether Amazon has violated antitrust laws. Ahead of a scheduled March ... Beyond Market Definition: Key Economic Concepts in FTC v Amazon
The View from Korea: A TOTM Q&A with Dae Sik Hong
Professor Hong, could you please tell us a bit more about your background and how you got interested in digital competition regulation? In South Korea, I have unique combined experience as a court judge and as an antitrust specialist at a major law firm, conducting numerous research projects that connect theory and practice. I have ... The View from Korea: A TOTM Q&A with Dae Sik Hong
Forced Sharing: Stepping Stones or Stumbling Blocks?
Recent headlines about the U.S. Justice Department’s (DOJ) antitrust case targeting Google Search echo a familiar policy script. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Thomas Lenard and Scott Wallsten warn that forcing Google to share its technology could undermine innovation—a lesson they say we should have learned from telecommunications policy decades ago. In 1996, ... Forced Sharing: Stepping Stones or Stumbling Blocks?
European Competition Law Is Lost at Sea
Imagine a world where digital-competition policy was guided by a desire to foster startup activity, competitiveness and, ultimately, growth. Competition policymakers would promote market conditions that enable new digital services to rapidly launch, gain user traction, and achieve greater scale. All of this would improve productivity, drive down prices for existing services, and help to ... European Competition Law Is Lost at Sea
The View from India: A TOTM Q&A with Shivanghi Sukumar
Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you got interested in digital competition regulation? I am a competition lawyer, and have been practicing competition law in India since the early days of its enforcement. A big part of my work has been related to the enforcement of behavioral provisions, and I’ve ... The View from India: A TOTM Q&A with Shivanghi Sukumar
Lessons from Korea’s Roller-Coaster Ride Toward Platform (Non)Regulation
The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), the nation’s competition authority, announced Sept. 9 that it had abandoned plans for comprehensive platform regulation modeled after the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) or Section 19a of Germany’s Competition Act. The proposed Korean regulation would have involved an ex-ante designation process, alongside stringent prohibitions. The KFTC noted ... Lessons from Korea’s Roller-Coaster Ride Toward Platform (Non)Regulation
Justice Department’s Google Adtech Antitrust Suit Does Not Add Up
The trial of the U.S. Justice Department’s (DOJ) “adtech” antitrust lawsuit against Google kicked off Sept. 9 in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia. In a nutshell, the DOJ (joined by 17 states) argues that Google illegally monopolized key digital-advertising technologies through a variety of anticompetitive tactics. But the DOJ will find it difficult to ... Justice Department’s Google Adtech Antitrust Suit Does Not Add Up
The Silly Season in Antitrust: The Hermès Case
For six generations, Hermès has epitomized French luxury, making and selling its iconic scarves, belts, jewelry, and, of course, handbags. Some Hermès products, including its Birkin and Kelly bags, are so exclusive that they can’t be bought off the shelf. Customers first have to establish a relationship with the house to purchase these specialty bags. ... The Silly Season in Antitrust: The Hermès Case
