Why is FRAND Hard?
Comments on European Commission’s Proposed SEP Regulation
Crushing David on the Way to Fight Goliath: How the Federal Trade Commission’s War on Bigness Will Also Hurt Small Businesses
Abstract By: Jessica Melugin The current leadership of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has aggressively targeted “bigness” in the U.S. economy, focusing on industries dominated by large firms. FTC Chair Lina Khan emphasized this stance in 2021, marking the beginning of intensified regulatory scrutiny. This paper explores the adverse impacts of these FTC actions, particularly […]
Antitrust & Enforcement: Letting Markets Work Without Empowering Government
While the current frustrations with the size of large tech companies and censorship practices may be warranted, giving government enforcers and bureaucrats more power is not the answer. Instead, existing antitrust laws and the consumer welfare standard are still the best tools for protecting competition and consumers. Competition fellow, Ted Bolema, explores how the calls […]
FTC Lawsuit Against Amazon’s Prime Is Poor Use of Limited Resources
The Federal Trade Commission is ready in arms for its upcoming suit against Amazon alleging that the company tricked customers into signing up for the company’s “Prime” membership and then made it difficult to cancel that subscription service. Competition fellow, Jessica Melugin, highlights the FTC’s use of limited resources to fight a company that provides […]
Deepening Fault Lines: Diverging Antitrust Enforcement at the DOJ and FTC
In a time when antitrust enforcement plays a pivotal role in shaping markets and ensuring fair competition, understanding the dynamics between these two powerful entities is crucial The realm of antitrust enforcement is witnessing a resurgence in the spotlight, with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission leading the charge. […]
Resolving Privacy Paradox of Kids’ Online Age Verification
Privacy fellow, Paula Bruening, explores how these stringent compliance requirements may pose challenges for small companies, including with respect to their privacy and data minimization obligations. Since President Joe Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address, where he emphasized the importance of children’s privacy, significant strides have been made to address the issue. Congressional action […]
FTC’s Subscription Deception
Competition fellow, Theodore Bolema, explores the pitfalls of a one-size-fits-all rule on negative option features for innovative businesses. In an everchanging digital marketplace, users and business owners are faced with many different options and potential subscription models to better enjoy a service. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a Negative Option Rule Notice of Proposed […]
FTC Continues War on Bigness by Opposing Microsoft Video-Game Acquisition
Competition fellow, Jessica Melugin, explores the economic rationale behind the agency’s investigation and why this may hinder US competition globally in the gaming industry In the dynamic world of gaming, Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of the gaming publishing company, Activision Blizzard, has stirred quite a debate. Why is the FTC attempting to halt a deal that […]