This issue we asked some noted economists to opine on hot antitrust topics, presenting viewpoints that considered both theory and practice. The results were both thought-provoking and diversified. Two articles on the recent Apple eBook case consider how the ruling changes MFN agreements. Then we analyze what the backlash against experimental economics realistically means for […]

John Bigelow, Jason Wu, Jul 29, 2013 In her recent decision in the eBook price-fixing case U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote identified the Most Favored Nation (“MFN”) clause in Apple’s contracts with book publishers as a component of the price-fixing conspiracy in which she found Apple and the publishers had engaged. This was a significant […]

Joshua Gans, Jul 29, 2013 “We will match our competitor’s price!” sounds like the most competitive of slogans. And to a consumer who has just found out that there is another store with a lower price, it looks like opportunity. Unfortunately, this is one of those deals that is not as simple as it sounds. […]

Gregory Leonard, Jul 29, 2013 Over the last 20 years, the economics profession has moved away from the estimation of structural economic models and toward the use of experiments, either controlled experiments or so-called “natural” experiments, for the purposes of estimating the causal effects of programs, policies, and other interventions. While industrial organization economists have been […]

John Asker, Shannon Seitz, Jul 29, 2013 In the wake of the ZF Meritor v. Eaton decision, there is new uncertainty regarding the kinds of vertical contracting practices that will attract antitrust scrutiny under U.S. law. In this case, the market share and loyalty rebates Eaton Corporation offered to truck manufacturers were found to violate antitrust […]

Shanker Singham, Jul 29, 2013 The close on July 12th of the first round of negotiations under the auspices of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (“T-TIP”) offers an opportunity to reflect on the possibilities presented by this historic agreement. The T-TIP offers a promising opportunity for both the United States and the European Union to […]