US: Steve Jobs seen as ‘walking antitrust violation’ in wake of Silicon Valley suit
The legacy of Apple founder Steve Jobs is again in question in the wake of news that various technology companies, including Apple, reached a settlement only days ago over allegations by employees that the companies colluded to make non-poaching agreements, keeping wages artificially low.
Antitrust guru Herbert Hovenkamp, a professor of the University of Iowa College of Law, called Jobs “a walking antitrust violation,” and other competition policy experts agree that Jobs seems to have ignored antitrust law altogether.
Not only was Apple the subject of a non-poaching case, both by the US Department of Justice and an employee class action, but the company is also facing thousands in potential damages from state lawsuit after a federal judge found Apple had conspired with eBook publishers to keep prices down.
An earlier case lead to an internal investigation within the company over allegations of a backdating scandal; in that case, five other executives of other firms went to prison for the scheme, though Jobs was never implicated.
The various antitrust disputes surrounding Apple show, according to reports, how “the difference between genius and potentially criminal behavior can be a fine line.”
Full content: NYTimes
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
UFC Reaches $375 Million Settlement in Antitrust Case
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Brazilian Architecture Council Convicted of Antitrust Violations
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Ban Chinese AI Software from US Government Devices
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Senators Call for Investigation into RealPage Algorithm’s Impact on Military Housing Costs
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
ECB Seeks Faster Digital Euro Legislation Amid US Stablecoin Push
Feb 6, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – International Criminal Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
CPI
The Antitrust Division’s Recent Work to Combat International Cartels
Jan 23, 2025 by
Emma Burnham & Benjamin Christenson
Information Sharing: The New Frontier of U.S. Antitrust Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
Brian P. Quinn, Casey Kovarik & Michael Tubach
The Key Role of Guidelines on Exchanges of Information Among Competitors and the Divergent Transatlantic Paths
Jan 23, 2025 by
Rosa Abrantes-Metz & Albert Metz
Leniency, Whistleblowers, and Compliance
Jan 23, 2025 by
Richard Powers, Tara O’Malley & Cory Gordon