The Archives

The collection of all scholarly commentary on law, economics, and more

Showing archive for:  “FTC Act”

FTC Noncompete Rule–and FTC Competition Rulemaking–Are on the Ropes

Judge Ada Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued an Aug. 20 order effectively striking down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) April 2024 rule barring noncompete clauses (“noncompetes”) in employment contracts. Ryan LLC, a global tax-services and software provider, had challenged the rule, which had been scheduled to take ... FTC Noncompete Rule–and FTC Competition Rulemaking–Are on the Ropes

Vacatur’s All I Ever Wanted

Yep, more about noncompetes. I’ve been at this a bit. I’m aware. Just last week, and then again here, here, here, here, and here at Truth on the Market; here in a more formal journal article; and here with my International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) colleagues and scholars of law and economics. Maybe ... Vacatur’s All I Ever Wanted

Antitrust at the Agencies: Just When I Thought I Was Out Edition

Noncompetes have been a subject of much interest here at Truth on the Market (see Alden Abbott, Brian Albrecht, Corbin Barthold, Gus Hurwitz, Richard Pierce Jr., and your humble-if-obsessive scribe here, here, here, here, and here). They’re also something I’ve studied independently—first, at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and then, for example, here.  I was ... Antitrust at the Agencies: Just When I Thought I Was Out Edition

The FTC Case Against PBM Rebates

About a month ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was preparing an antitrust suit against the nation’s three largest pharmaceutical benefit managers (PBMs), the intermediaries who negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers and who manage benefits for nearly nine in 10 insured Americans.  This development followed a two-year ... The FTC Case Against PBM Rebates

After Loper Bright, FTC Awaits Its Turn At-Bat

In an Agencies Roundup post several weeks ago, I revisited the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) newly adopted—and not-yet-effective—rule barring the use of noncompete agreements across much of the U.S. economy. It was not my first such post (my ninth, if I’ve counted correctly, and if readers will forgo armchair diagnoses of monomania). The last time ... After Loper Bright, FTC Awaits Its Turn At-Bat

The Waiting Game: Noncompetes, Google, Roll-Ups, and More

I’ll start with a bit of half-empty, half-full (and very partial) resolution in Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publicity. Losing by Winning or Just Losing or . . . ? A couple of weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal editorial board announced that:  “Another Lina Khan Theory Loses in Court” And that was right, up to ... The Waiting Game: Noncompetes, Google, Roll-Ups, and More

All Roads Lead to Dallas: FTC Non-Compete Rule Set to Face Its First Legal Test in the Northern District of Texas

The sweeping prohibition on noncompete agreements promulgated by the Federal Trade Commision (FTC)—which would nullify 30 million contracts and preempt the laws of 46 states if it takes effect, as scheduled, on Sept. 4—is set for its first judicial test. In Ryan, LLC v. FTC, Judge Ada Brown of the U.S. District Court for the ... All Roads Lead to Dallas: FTC Non-Compete Rule Set to Face Its First Legal Test in the Northern District of Texas

The FTC Office of Patent Invalidation

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced late last month that it had “expanded its campaign against pharmaceutical manufacturers’ improper or inaccurate listing of patents in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Orange Book, disputing junk patent listings for diabetes, weight loss, asthma, and COPD drugs, including Novo Nordisk Inc.’s blockbuster weight-loss drug, Ozempic.” Warning letters ... The FTC Office of Patent Invalidation

Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends: More Regulatory Overreach by the FTC

Go big or go home, they say. It’s not really an either-or choice: one can go big, and then go home. Not infrequently, an attempt to go big is what gets one sent home.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) swung for the fences in April 23’s open meeting. On purely partisan lines, the commission voted ... Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends: More Regulatory Overreach by the FTC

Antitrust at the Agencies Roundup: Supply Chains, Noncompetes, and Greedflation

The big news from the agencies may be the lawsuit filed today by the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) and 16 states against Apple alleging monopoly maintenance in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. It’s an 86-page complaint and it’s just out. I’ll write more about it next week. Two quick observations: First, the ... Antitrust at the Agencies Roundup: Supply Chains, Noncompetes, and Greedflation

Will the FTC Scupper the Kroger/Albersons Merger?

The press is abuzz with news about the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Feb. 26 announcement that it would challenge the proposed Kroger/Albertsons mega-supermarket merger, which had been in the works since the fall of 2022. If the FTC succeeds in obtaining a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in Oregon federal district court (a big ... Will the FTC Scupper the Kroger/Albersons Merger?

The FTC Should Not Enact a Deceptive or Unfair Marketing Earnings-Claims Rule

Back in February 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on “deceptive or unfair earnings claims.” According to the FTC: [The Deceptive or Unfair ANPRM was aimed at] challenging bogus money-making claims used to lure consumers, workers, and prospective entrepreneurs into risky business ventures that often turn into ... The FTC Should Not Enact a Deceptive or Unfair Marketing Earnings-Claims Rule