All posts tagged: Antitrust

The Antitrust Theory of Everything

The Antitrust Theory of Everything

Published by Sam Flores

“I helped set in motion a revolution that aims to rebuild something like a true liberal democracy in America,” Barry C. Lynn wrote two years ago in Harper’s. The claim is notable less for being impossibly grandiose than for being more or less correct. Lynn is the intellectual godfather of what is now known as the neo-Brandeisian movement, which identifies corporate consolidation as the singular, villainous force behind everything that has gone wrong in the United States. “It is vital to understand,” Lynn wrote in his 2020 book, Liberty from All Masters, “that monopoly is not one of many economics problems but rather the political economic problem of our time,” causing “just about every ill in our society today.” When he says that he holds corporate consolidation responsible for just about every problem, he means it. A list of social ills Lynn has attributed to monopolists includes not just the cost of goods and services but also: “The vast and growing inequality of wealth, political power, and control. The rise of the radical right. The …

Google Appeals Antitrust Ruling, Says Apple Chose Its Search Engine ‘Fair and Square’

Google Appeals Antitrust Ruling, Says Apple Chose Its Search Engine ‘Fair and Square’

Published by skeptic

Google today appealed a 2024 ruling that found it violated antitrust law by paying to be the default search engine on iPhones. In a filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Google said the district court made an error when concluding that Google’s search success was due to anything other than competition on merit. Google suggested it surpassed competition through better innovation, more investments, and “just working harder,” which is why Apple chose Google Search as its default search option on Apple devices. Whether or not Google has monopoly power, Google did nothing that “harm[ed] the competitive process.” It did not impede its rivals’ opportunity to make—or Apple’s and Mozilla’s ability to choose—a better offer. Indeed, there is no finding—or even any evidence—that Google’s customers would have chosen a rival, even in the absence of the challenged agreements. Google just prevailed in the marketplace fair and square. The filing points out that Apple was free to distribute and promote rival search engines, with Google highlighting the alternative browser options that Apple …

Apple withholds data in India antitrust case, watchdog sets final hearing

Apple withholds data in India antitrust case, watchdog sets final hearing

Published by Sam Flores

NEW DELHI, April 20 : Apple has not submitted data sought by India’s antitrust body after an investigation found the U.S. firm abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market, prompting the watchdog to fast-track a decision on penalties to a final hearing next month, an order shows. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in an April 8 order that Apple has not submitted details of its financials and its views on the investigation since October 2024, and instead cited a separate case pending in the Delhi High Court where the company has challenged India’s entire antitrust penalty law. The CCI typically requires financial information from companies to calculate penalties when they are found to have contravened the law. Apple, which denies any wrongdoing in the case, has said it fears it could be fined up to $38 billion if the watchdog uses its global turnover to calculate penalties in the case. Apple has “been afforded adequate opportunities to file” its objections or suggestions to the investigation report and has also “not submitted …

New merger rules are no free ride for European champions, says Teresa Ribera – POLITICO

New merger rules are no free ride for European champions, says Teresa Ribera – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Ribera, who as executive vice president ranks second to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, enforces antitrust policy across the 27-nation bloc. Her comments contrast with her boss’ calls to nurture European business “champions” that can hold their own against China’s world-beating exporters and U.S. tech titans. The Spanish commissioner said that the industrial restructuring of sectors like telecoms was impeded by the fragmentation of national markets, and not the bloc’s merger rules. “It needs to be proven that there are benefits we will be enjoying in the time to come. And not just: I want to be big,” she said. Ribera also issued a pointed warning to member countries tempted to use the guidelines’ new resilience and security exceptions to pick domestic winners. “We also invite national competition authorities and national governments to make a very self-restrained understanding of what this could mean,” she said. Her remarks follow Italy’s intervention in Milan-based UniCredit’s bid for local rival Banco BPM, and the conditions set by the Spanish government on BBVA’s attempts to acquire Sabadell. Both …

EU says WhatsApp AI terms update fails to resolve antitrust concerns – POLITICO

EU says WhatsApp AI terms update fails to resolve antitrust concerns – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Replacing the legal ban with pricing that has a similar effect does not change our preliminary view that Meta’s conduct appears to be an abuse of its dominant position,” Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said in a statement. The EU executive is considering whether to impose rare interim measures on Meta to restore access. The updated charge sheet follows Meta’s March announcement that it had replaced the ban with a new pricing framework. The tech giant said at the time that the change in Europe is intended to provide the Commission with “the time it needs to conclude its investigation.” Meta maintains that the AI sector is “highly competitive,” and that rival AI services remain available to customers through app stores, search engines, email providers and operating systems. “The European Commission is proposing to use its regulatory powers to enable some of the largest companies in the world to use the paid-for WhatsApp Business product for free,” Joshua Breckman, a spokesperson for Meta, said in response to the Commission’s chargesheet. Breckman added that interim measures would …

Former von der Leyen aide’s new role reflects EU competition policy shift – POLITICO

Former von der Leyen aide’s new role reflects EU competition policy shift – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Speaking with POLITICO, Whelan denied that his role was to build a bridge between von der Leyen and the competition department. “I don’t think the president and the EVP are in need of bridges,” he said. Ribera — who as the top socialist in the Commission is a foil to Christian Democrat von der Leyen — also framed the department’s future mandate through a philosophical lens, calling for enforcement grounded in fairness and protecting the vulnerable.  “In these uncertain times, our responsibility is more important than ever: to enforce rules firmly, to remain free from any distorting pressures, to act with integrity,” Ribera wrote. European Commission Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera arriving at the European Pulse Forum in Barcelona on April 10. | David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty Images Bridge builder or not, competition bubble insiders say Whelan has the bureaucratic and political chops to both manage that relationship and execute on the new competition agenda. “Highly intelligent, politically savvy, pragmatic, open-minded, and a strong believer in vigorous enforcement,” is …

Apple Subpoenas Samsung in South Korea Over DOJ Antitrust Case

Apple Subpoenas Samsung in South Korea Over DOJ Antitrust Case

Published by skeptic

Apple has asked a U.S. court to formally request internal Samsung documents from South Korea as part of discovery in the DOJ’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the company. The DOJ filed suit against Apple in March 2024, alongside a number of governments, alleging the company used App Store rules, developer restrictions, and control over key iPhone features to stifle competition. After Apple’s bid to have the case dismissed failed, the litigation moved into discovery. Samsung is central to the case. All four complaints identify Samsung as Apple’s “closest smartphone competitor,” and plaintiffs allege that Apple’s conduct caused Samsung to stop making smartwatches that connect to iPhone in 2021. Apple subpoenaed Samsung’s U.S. subsidiary, Samsung Electronics America, for documents, but the subsidiary declined to produce any records, arguing the materials are held solely by its South Korean parent. Apple says Samsung America lodged that objection 65 times across its responses. In a memorandum filed on April 7, Apple asked the court to issue a formal letter of request under the Hague Evidence Convention, an international mechanism …

Sportradar faces antitrust lawsuit by Altenar over alleged blocking of betting data access

Sportradar faces antitrust lawsuit by Altenar over alleged blocking of betting data access

Published by skeptic

A fresh federal lawsuit is putting a spotlight on how control of sports data can shape competition in the booming US betting industry. Altenar Technologies Limited has filed suit in New Jersey against Sportradar Group AG and Sportradar AG, arguing the company used its grip on official league data to keep competitors out. The complaint, which has been reviewed by ReadWrite, brings up the issue of access to real-time “official league data,” described as “the essential input for businesses like Altenar that sell turnkey sports betting technology platforms.” NEW: Lawsuit alleges sports data giant Sportradar blocked rival Altenar Technologies from US #betting market, citing monopoly over live league data and antitrust violations @RWW pic.twitter.com/ud5ytUvxXu — Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) April 7, 2026 Altenar says it has relied on Sportradar for years in overseas markets, paying more than $6 million annually for data feeds. But when the company tried to enter the US after nationwide legalization in 2018, it says that access was cut off. The company claims Sportradar had previously indicated US rights would be available …

Live Nation Antitrust Trial to Resume After States Can’t Settle

Live Nation Antitrust Trial to Resume After States Can’t Settle

Published by Daniella Wilson

The antitrust trial against Live Nation is set to resume Monday, as the concert and ticketing giant failed to reach a settlement with a majority of the states that sued the company in tandem with the Department of Justice. Several states including Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Oklahoma did reach a settlement, according to documents filed in court Friday and to the news outlet Inner City Press, but over 30 more — including major live music markets California, New York and Texas — are pressing on. The move comes after the DOJ and Live Nation officially came to a settlement earlier this week during the middle of the ongoing trial. While the DOJ had originally called to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster when the department first sued the company back in 2024, the settlement keeps Live Nation in tact, with more minor provisions that include Live Nation divesting exclusive booking agreements with 13 amphitheaters, a 15 percent fee cap at amphitheaters and as much as $280 million in damage payments. The attorneys general for …

Live Nation antitrust deal spurs questions for DOJ

Live Nation antitrust deal spurs questions for DOJ

Published by Sam Flores

The Justice Department’s surprise settlement with Ticketmaster parent Live Nation in its lawsuit alleging the entertainment behemoth holds an illegal monopoly on the ticketing industry has turned attention toward the Trump administration’s approach to antitrust.   The agreement, which must still be approved by a judge, would require the company to cap service fees at 15… Source link