Showing archive for: “Market Definition”
Antitrust at the Agencies: Meta Analysis Edition
The memorandum and order in FTC v. Meta Platforms Inc. that U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg filed Nov. 18, ruling in favor of Meta, has now been followed by a Dec. 2 revised order that contained fewer redactions. The memorandum doesn’t exactly provide the law & economics analysis I would have produced, had ... Antitrust at the Agencies: Meta Analysis Edition
What Competition Scholars Should Know About the 2025 Economics Nobel
The 2025 Economics Nobel went to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for exploring innovation-driven economic growth. I already wrote a general explainer about the prize. Here I want to make a different claim: If you work in antitrust, you should pay particular attention to their scholarship. Their work, especially that of Aghion and ... What Competition Scholars Should Know About the 2025 Economics Nobel
The Charter-Cox Merger Should Sail Through, But Will It?
Charter Communications Inc. and Cox Communications Inc. have announced a plan to merge in a $34.5 billion deal. The transaction would create the nation’s largest cable operator, surpassing Comcast, with approximately 38 million subscribers across 46 states. Predictably, the proposal triggered concerns about cable-industry consolidation. Yet the reflexive anxiety about “big cable getting bigger” misses ... The Charter-Cox Merger Should Sail Through, But Will It?
New York’s Failed Economic Case for Price-Gouging Enforcement
A major winter storm across northern New York State in January 1998 snapped power lines and left thousands without electricity, as temperatures plunged. In the small town of Chazy, just south of the Canadian border, a local hardware store stepped up. Chazy Hardware had just one generator on hand, but it managed to locate 54 ... New York’s Failed Economic Case for Price-Gouging Enforcement
The FTC’s Zombie Antitrust Action Against Meta Continues to Lurch Forward
FTC v. Meta Platforms Inc. has gone to court, and trial is just underway in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that Meta is currently, in 2025, engaged in monopolization in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by dint of having acquired Instagram ... The FTC’s Zombie Antitrust Action Against Meta Continues to Lurch Forward
Competition Confusion in the UK
UK Member of Parliament (former Conservative Party Cabinet Minister) Kit Malthouse published an essay in CapX earlier this month titled “We need a competition revolution.” I, of course, completely agree that competition is vitally important to any economy, and the UK has been struggling with productivity and growth challenges that may be linked to competition ... Competition Confusion in the UK
Market Definition in FTC v. Amazon: A Crucial Battleground
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust suit against Amazon, originally filed in October 2023, is scheduled for trial in October 2026. In the meantime, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington has scheduled a March 7 “economics day” hearing to focus on fundamental economic concepts that will shape the case—including the crucial ... Market Definition in FTC v. Amazon: A Crucial Battleground
Examining the DOJ’s Challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Acquisition of Juniper
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) proposed a $14 billion deal in early 2024 to acquire Juniper Networks. HPE, it should be noted, is not the Hewlett Packard (HP) of printer and ink fame, as it was spun off from the larger HP corporation in 2015. Instead, HPE is, like Juniper, involved in connectivity—specifically, wireless technology, including ... Examining the DOJ’s Challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Acquisition of Juniper
Out with the Old Rules and in with…Something?
Pleading (in) the Fifth (Circuit) Way back in late January, I wrote a piece called “Lina’s Lingering Legacy?” Lina Khan—at that time, Commissioner Khan, and the week before that, Chair Khan—had not yet left the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) building. But she had been replaced as chair by presidential fiat (as per Section 1 of ... Out with the Old Rules and in with…Something?
The FTC’s Baffling Chinese Affair
In a column last Friday, I noted a spate of matters being rushed through the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the final weeks of Lina Khan’s tenure as chair. I was hardly the only one to notice (see the dissenting statements of Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Commissioner Melissa Holyoak on the FTC’s closed Jan. 16 ... The FTC’s Baffling Chinese Affair
Antitrust at the Agencies: The Meat of the Matter Edition
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued comments Sept. 11 in support of a proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that “seeks to clarify the scope of what constitutes unfair practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA), which assures fair competition and fair trade practices to protect farmers, ranchers, growers, and consumers.” In the ... Antitrust at the Agencies: The Meat of the Matter Edition
Big Federal Antitrust Cases Heat Up
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are advancing two major antitrust cases that will have significant implications for the American public. The DOJ, joined by eight states, announced Aug. 23 that it was suing RealPage Inc. for an “unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing and to monopolize ... Big Federal Antitrust Cases Heat Up
