Showing archive for: “Comparative Law & Trans-National Studies”
Why the Canadian Supreme Court’s Equustek decision is a good thing for freedom — even on the Internet
I recently published a piece in the Hill welcoming the Canadian Supreme Court’s decision in Google v. Equustek. In this post I expand (at length) upon my assessment of the case. In its decision, the Court upheld injunctive relief against Google, directing the company to avoid indexing websites offering the infringing goods in question, regardless ... Why the Canadian Supreme Court’s Equustek decision is a good thing for freedom — even on the Internet
The song remains the same: Exceptionalists against the application of the law
In a recent article for the San Francisco Daily Journal I examine Google v. Equustek: a case currently before the Canadian Supreme Court involving the scope of jurisdiction of Canadian courts to enjoin conduct on the internet. In the piece I argue that a globally interconnected system of free enterprise must operationalize the rule of law through continuous ... The song remains the same: Exceptionalists against the application of the law
O competition, we stand on guard for thee
Today’s Canadian Competition Bureau (CCB) Google decision marks yet another regulator joining the chorus of competition agencies around the world that have already dismissed similar complaints relating to Google’s Search or Android businesses (including the US FTC, the Korea FTC, the Taiwan FTC, and AG offices in Texas and Ohio). A number of courts around ... O competition, we stand on guard for thee
Mandated “fair use” language has no place in trade promotion authority
Earlier this week Senators Orrin Hatch and Ron Wyden and Representative Paul Ryan introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (otherwise known as Trade Promotion Authority or “fast track” negotiating authority). The bill would enable the Administration to negotiate free trade agreements subject to appropriate Congressional review. Nothing ... Mandated “fair use” language has no place in trade promotion authority
Nuno Garoupa on Reforming Legal Professions In East Asia
The traditional narrative is that Asian jurisdictions have fewer lawyers than in the West because they are much less litigious societies; they don’t need lawyers! Recent evidence has suggested the causation is probably reversed; there are not enough lawyers to provide services to all potential litigants. Legal markets in East Asia were largely kept closed ... Nuno Garoupa on Reforming Legal Professions In East Asia
Nuno Garoupa on Reforming Legal Professions in Europe
The European Commission, in particular the Directorate-General for Competition, has shown interest in promoting competition in the market for legal services since the early 2000s. Some countries such as the United Kingdom have taken this matter seriously. After a long review process, the British government has recently implemented a new regulatory set-up for legal services ... Nuno Garoupa on Reforming Legal Professions in Europe
Russian Retail Trade Law and Government Barriers to Entry
A new Russian retail trade law is scheduled to (at least partially) go into effect on February 1st. The new retail trade law, with the support of the national antitrust authority and Prime Minister Putin amongst others, has three essential features: (1) limiting the operation of chains to no more than 25 percent of total ... Russian Retail Trade Law and Government Barriers to Entry
Oracle is nonplussed; the DOJ is . . . plussed?
The European Commission has issued a Statement of Objections in response to Oracle’s proposed acquisition of Sun. The deal had already cleared the DOJ’s review. Oracle is none too happy about the development, issuing a strongly-worded statement. Here’s a taste: The database market is intensely competitive with at least eight strong players, including IBM, Microsoft, ... Oracle is nonplussed; the DOJ is . . . plussed?
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
The Law Market
The Law Market, Larry Ribstein’s new and important book with Erin O’Hara looks great and is available here from Oxford University Press. The book description from the website sets the stage: Today, a California resident can incorporate her shipping business in Delaware, register her ships in Panama, hire her employees from Hong Kong, place her ... The Law Market
International Antitrust Explosion in the FT
Financial Times (HT: Danny Sokol) highlights the problem of multi-jurisdictional antitrust enforcement, emphasizing the rise of India and China. The article repeats the basic point, worth repeating, that international cooperation can help avoid bad outcomes with multiple regulatory stakeholders with different incentives and institutional environments: That is not a criticism of the new competition rules ... International Antitrust Explosion in the FT
EU/US Convergence in Competition Policy
FTC Chairman William Kovacic, easily one of the most insightful thinkers and writers on issues of global competition policy, has posted a new paper offering a thoughtful analysis of where the EU and US competition policy systems have been, where they are going, what institutional differences might cause the systems to converge or diverge further, ... EU/US Convergence in Competition Policy