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Anitrust actions do not require the presence of a monopoly. Rather, they addresses situations where companies unreasonably exert power to lessen competition.
by lisasays 3y ago
Anitrust actions do not require the presence of a monopoly.
Rather, they addresses situations where companies unreasonably exert power to lessen competition.
The idea is to prevent monopolies from forming in the first place.
- prepend 3y ago> unreasonably exert power to lessen competition. The unreasonable part is where the monopoly power comes in. Companies lessening competition happens all the time, it’s the monopoly aspect that triggers antitrust.
- grimgoldgo 3y agoThere are three primary antitrust laws, only one of them focuses on monopoly power in the way you describe. The Clayton and FTC acts are broader.
- ThatPlayer 3y agoMonopoly power does not require a literal monopoly. Straight from the FTC: https://www.ftc.gov/advice-guidance/competition-guidance/guide-antitrust-laws/single-firm-conduct/monopolization-defined https://www.ftc.gov/advice-guidance/competition-guidance/gui... > Courts do not require a literal monopoly before applying rules for single firm conduct; that term is used as shorthand for a firm with significant and durable market power I'd say Amazon has "significant and durable market power"
- robertlagrant 3y agoWhat does that mean? Does Microsoft have that with Windows? Intel with x86? Apple with phones? What is the scale of those words?
- ThatPlayer 3y agoIt means it's up to the courts to decide on a case by case basis.
- robertlagrant 3y agoThat sounds...arbitrary and subject to politicisation.
- ThatPlayer 3y agoWhat method wouldn't be? Putting it to a committee would have similar problems. Writing it into a law would be too static. Especially because the first part of determining marketshare and market power is determining the market. New markets happen all the time, with old markets dying out. Twenty years ago, smartphones wouldn't have been a market. Fifteen years ago: streaming services. Like going back to your "Intel with x86", what is the market? x86_64 CPUs? Sure they have monopoly power. All CPUs? Now they don't have as much because they're competing with ARM too. Mobile phone CPUs? I don't think there's been a new Intel phone since the Asus Zenfone 2 (2015).
- robertlagrant 3y agoThe method of letting the markets decide would work, I think.
- willcipriano 3y agoI suspect this action might have been related to this announcement: https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/policy-statement-regarding-scope-unfair-methods-competition-under-section-5-federal-trade-commission https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/policy-statement-re... [pdf] article - https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/11/ftc-restores-rigorous-enforcement-law-banning-unfair-methods-competition https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/11/... They are more rigorously enforcing laws against unfair practices, monopoly or not. "Unfair methods of competition, the policy statement explains, are tactics that seek to gain an advantage while avoiding competing on the merits, and that tend to reduce competition in the market."
- 0xParlay 3y agoCan they save me from Comcast first? I’d be curious how that backlog refinement meeting goes. > See that filter that orders priority by realized value? Remove it and order by campaign contributions
- willcipriano 3y agoTranslated from non incriminating corporate speak to plain English: "We have to been seen doing something, the election cycle is fast approaching. What if we go after Comcast?" "They gave a important senators son a no show job so they are off limits for the time being" "Amazon?" "Let me check, actually they haven't done much for us lately, let's shake them down, if they give my cousin a few million for consulting we give them a small fine, if not we give them the law"
- dragonwriter 3y ago> Can they save me from Comcast first? Talk to the FCC, probably.
- mr_toad 3y agoThe Friends of Comcast Club?
- tomlin 3y ago[flagged]