Antitrust & Competition Policy Blog

Four More Years: What Obama’s Reelection Means for United States Antitrust Policies

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

CPI has assembled a great lineup to discuss Four More Years: What Obama’s Reelection Means for United States Antitrust Policies.

Competition, Standards, and Patents

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

Per Hellstrom, European Union - Directorate General for Competition and Thomas Kramler, discuss Competition, Standards, and Patents. ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline some of the issues raised by the use of standards and patents from an EU competition law perspective, and discuss what lessons market participants and regulators might draw from ongoing disputes.

Trust and Deterrence

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

Maria Bigoni, University of Bologna - Department of Economics, Sven-Olof Fridolfsson, Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN) Chloe Le Coq, SITE-Stockholm School of Economics, and Giancarlo Spagnolo, University of Rome Tor Vergata, EIEF, Stockholm School of Economics (SITE), Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) have a very interesting paper on Trust and Deterrence. Highly recommended.

ABSTRACT: This paper presents results from a laboratory experiment on the channels through which different law enforcement strategies deter cartel formation. With leniency policies offering immunity to the first reporting party a high fine is the main determinant of deterrence, having a strong effect even when the probability of exogenous detection is zero. Deterrence appears then mainly driven by 'distrust', the fear of partners deviating and reporting. Absent leniency, the probability of detection and the expected fine matter the most, and low fines are exploited to punish defections. The results appear relevant to several other crimes sharing cartels' strategic features, including corruption and financial fraud.

U.S. Competition Policy 2013 and Beyond - A Post-Election Briefing By the American Antitrust Institute

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

U.S. Competition Policy 2013 and Beyond A Post-Election Briefing By the American Antitrust Institute

Join leaders from the antitrust community for an overview of the November election outcome and its impact on the competition policy in the U.S. Speakers will address potential changes to federal agencies' priorities and staffing, the effects Supreme Court appointments could have on antitrust, and likely changes to the congressional agenda. Hosted by the American Antitrust Institute. When:             Wednesday, November 14, 2012                         9:00 a.m. Where:             National Press Club First Amendment Lounge                         529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor - Washington, DC 20045 Speakers:       Pamela Gilbert, Partner, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca; Legislative Counsel, Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) Seth Bloom, General Counsel, Antitrust Subcommittee at U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Anant Raut, Election Coordinator, Obama for America -VA; former Counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives George Slover, former Legislative Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee; former attorney-advisor for legal policy within the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division Moderated by: Bert Foer, President of the American Antitrust Institute Also featured:            The AAI will release its new monograph "Global Beer: The Road to Monopoly" and a new White Paper analyzing the pending transaction that will bring Corona under the full control of Anheuser-Busch. Contact: Bert Foer 202-276-6002 bfoer@antitrustinstitute.org About the American Antitrust Institute The American Antitrust Institute is an independent Washington-based non-profit education, research, and advocacy organization. Our mission is to increase the role of competition, assure that competition works in the interests of consumers, and challenge abuses of concentrated economic power in the American and world economy. To learn more about the AAI, please visit www.antitrustinstitute.org.

What Happens When Local Phone Service is Deregulated?

Posted by D. Daniel Sokol

Jeffrey A. Eisenach, Navigant Economics LLC, George Mason University School of Law and Kevin W. Caves, Navigant Economics ask What Happens When Local Phone Service is Deregulated?

ABSTRACT: After more than half a century of monopoly and public utility-type regulation of retail telephone rates, the United States embarked on a path of liberalization in the early 1980s. That process is now nearing completion. However, two areas of telephone service largely remain under traditional regulation: rural-area service and “basic” service. Some states, however, have moved toward deregulation in these areas as well. This paper examines the outcomes of those efforts as compared to states that maintain traditional regulation. It finds that in terms of rates and utilization, consumers in deregulated states are at least as well off as consumers in regulated states.