Price competition in the distribution of books

The American Booksellers’ Association believes that the fierce price competition between Walmart, Target, and Amazon is damaging consumers.

Die Privatkopie und die deutsche Verfassung

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat eine Verfassungsbeschwerde von Unternehmen der Musikindustrie gegen die digitale Privatkopie nicht zur Entscheidung angenommen.

A New Structured Rule of Reason Approach for RPM?

Antitrust Federalism : Enhancing Federal/State Cooperation, CHRISTINE A. VARNEY Assistant Attorney General Antitrust Division U.S. Department of Justice

On copyright infringement and choice-of-law rules

Anita B. Frohlich, Copyright Infringement in the Internet Age - Primetime for Harmonized Conflict-of-Laws Rules.

Yet another EU copyright consultation

Creative Content in a European Digital Single Market: Challenges for the Future

Economic evidence in competition cases

A speech by P.Freeman, Chairman of the UK Competition Commission

India: Competition Appellate Tribunal Formed

The body will hear appeals against decisions by the Competition Commission of India.

US Health Insurance Industry Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2009

The House Judiciary Committee has voted to repeal the insurance industry’s exemption from antitrust legislation

Ausschaltung eines preisaktiven Internetanbieters

Das Bundeskartellamt verhängt Bußgeld gegen Hörgerätehersteller Phonak GmbH. Aus der Pressemeldung: "Die einseitige Vorgabe von unverbindlichen Preisempfehlungen ist nach geltendem Recht grundsätzlich zulässig. Ordnungswidrig handelt jedoch, wer zu ihrer Durchsetzung dem Abnehmer Nachteile androht oder zufügt oder ihm Vorteile verspricht oder gewährt. Eine Liefersperre ist ein solcher Nachteil.
Das Bundeskartellamt misst dem beschriebenen Vorgehen hier eine über den Einzelfall hinausgehende wettbewerbliche Bedeutung zu. Die Ausschaltung des einen preisaktiven Internetanbieters war dazu geeignet und bestimmt, die auf dem deutschen Markt für den Handel mit Hörgeräten insgesamt herrschende Preisstabilität aufrechtzuerhalten bzw. wiederherzustellen. Ist aber der Preiswettbewerb auf Einzelhandelsebene ohnehin eingeschränkt, so wiegt jede weitere Verhinderung vorstoßenden Wettbewerbs umso schwerer"

Online distribution of music: joint statement

The statement sets out general principles designed to underpin the online distribution of music in the future. See also the EC press release.

Transgenic seed industry: the effects of Monsanto's market power

AAI's White Paper "Transgenic Seed Platforms: Competition Between a Rock and a Hard Place"

Oracle-Sun Deal: Reasons to Support it?

See Groklaw's post. See also this post from the Antitrust Law Blog and this list of useful blog posts and news stories on MySQL.

On the "more economic approach" in applying art. 82 EC

From Formalism to Effects? – The Commission’s Communication on Enforcement Priorities in Applying Article 82 EC, Nicolas Petit

Analyzing five antimonopoly suits against Microsoft

Working Paper: Microsoft Might Under Microscope: Alternative Approaches to Antimonopoly Regulation, Lana J. Ellis

Google Book Settlement and Antitrust Issues

Two recent articles:

Randal C. Picker, The Google Book Search Settlement: A New Orphan-Works Monopoly?
5 Journal of Competition Law and Economics 383 (2009)

Jerry A. Hausman and J. Gregory Sidak, Google and the Proper Antitrust Scrutiny of Orphan Books, 5 Journal of Competition Law and Economics 411 (2009)

New, "consumer friendly" EU competition website

Delivering for consumers, introduced by Neelie Kroes' own words that the new website "is very easy to use. You might have seen that the main DG Competition site is very detailed. This new site is interactive and highly visual, including a short video aimed at consumers. Users can also learn about our work by product or country in friendly, plain language. This is about showing consumers that competition is worth the effort involved."

Antitrust and Innovative Markets

The Limits of Antitrust in the New Economy, G.Manne, J.Wright. See also J. Gregory Sidak & David J. Teece, Dynamic Competition in Antitrust Law and Promoting Innovation: Just How “Dynamic” Should Antitrust Law Be?, J. Thomas Rosch.

On the need to reconceptualize antitrust private enforcement models

Working paper, Optimizing Private Antitrust Enforcement, by D. Crane.

Slides on IP licences and antitrust issues.

Again, thanks to Hanno F. Kaiser.

Advice to the Obama Administration on Antitrust Policy: Two Perspectives Compared

Spencer Waller and Jennifer Woods, "Antitrust Transitions".

Copyright in the Knowledge Economy: A New Communication from the Commission

Last year's Green Paper "Preparatory Follow-Up". See also the press release.

Another View on the EU Intel Decision

The Decision of the Commission of 13 May 2009 in the Intel Case: Where is the Foreclosure and Consumer Harm, by Damien Geradin

Determinants of R&D diversification strategies in the drug industry: competition, rather than spillovers, matters

A Working Paper by Tatiana Plotnikova on Technology, Competition and the Time of Entry: Diversification Patterns in the Development of New Drugs

Useful Slides on the US Robinson-Patman Act

Many thanks to Hanno F. Kaiser.

New Zealand: Abuse of Dominant Position in Markets for High-speed Data Transmission

High Court, ruling COMMERCE COMMISSION V TELECOM CORPORATION OF NEW ZEALAND LIMITED And Anor HC, AK CIV 2004-404-1333 - 9 October 2009-

Neelie Kroes on Standards

Address at Harvard Club of Belgium, "De Warande" Brussels, 15th October 2009. See also the IACS decision on de facto industry standards for classification.

Competition in the Publishing Industry in Italy?

The Italian Competition Authority has published the second part of its sector inquiry, specifically dealing with newspaper distribution issues.

Trade Mark Exhaustion and Implicit Consent

European Court of Justice, Case C-324/08 Makro Zelfbedieningsgroothandel CV, Metro Cash & Carry BV and Remo Zaandam BV v Diesel.

Google Chef-Justitiar auf der Frankfurter Buchmesse

S. Bericht des Instituts für Urheber- und Medienrecht

Leniency Convergence in the EU

A Report issued by the European Competition Network. See also the list of applicable leniency programmes.

The FTC's Chairman on the Enforcement of the U.S. Antitrust Laws

Remarks of Chairman Jon Leibowitz, 36th Annual Conference on International Antitrust Law & Policy, Fordham Competition Law Institute at Fordham Law School
September 24, 2009

Branding Individual Corn Flakes

Giving Kellogg's golden flakes of corn "an official stamp of approval", see the story coverage by BrandRepublic and The Guardian.

More Bilski Briefs

Listed by Groklaw

EU Guidance Paper on Art. 82 Exclusionary Abuse: Beyond Criticism

A Discussion Paper by J. Temple Lang.

Economists' Effectiveness in Competition Law Litigation: How Can We Judge?

See I.Lianos, Judging’ Economists: Economic Expertise in Competition Law Litigation - A European View

Buyer Power in International Markets

A Discussion Paper by Horst Raff and Nicolas Schmitt.

Microsoft-EU Commission Interoperability Settlement: Some Critical Comments

Interview with ECIS's Thomas Vinje and Ashwin van Rooijen on the Microsoft-EU Commission Deal, from Groklaw.

The Free Software Foundation on Bilski

An amicus brief has been filed.

Cartels: Their Duration and the Difficult Task of Breaking Them Up

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Determinants of Cartel Duration, by Margaret C. Levenstein and Valerie Y. Suslow

Antitrust, Multi-Dimensional Competition, and Innovation

Do We Have an Antitrust-Relevant Theory of Competition Now?, by J. Wright.

Commitments in EU Competition Law

Opinion of Advocate General Kokott, Case C‑441/07 P, Commission of the European Communities v Alrosa Company Ltd.

Google-Books: Tagung in Berlin

Tagung “Enteignung oder Infotopia? Google Books und die Zukunft des Wissens”, Berichterstattung und demnächst Video-Zusammenfassung hier.

Hadopi 2: question de constitutionnalité?

Le texte du recours du Parti socialiste.

Joop!-Ausrufezeichen: Kein Markenrechtsschutz

EuG, Urteil v. 30.09.2009, Az. T‑75/08