Microsoft-Yahoo!
 Alex Epstein, an analyst at the Ayn Rand Institute, has published an op-ed explaining why antitrust regulators should not get in the way of any potential combinations of Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! Esptein notes, "What we are observing in the battle over Yahoo! is not genuine, merit-based competition, but competition based on political pull." You can read Epstein's article, "Set Yahoo! Free," at this link.
PATENT HOLD UP
 Bruce Kobayashi and Joshua Wright of George Mason University recently posted an article examining "restraint when applying the antitrust laws to conduct that is normally regulated by state and other federal laws," specifcially the use of antitrust "to regulate the problem of patent hold up of members of standard setting organizations." You can download their paper at this link.
Mises.org
 S.M. Oliva, president of the Voluntary Trade Council, authored an article for the Ludwig von Mises Institute on Mark and Marianne Hershiser's landmark First Amendment lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission. You can read the article, "Consumer Protection or Legal Extortion?" at this link.
IP & Antitrust
 Damien Geradin, a professor at Tilburg University and a partner at Howrey LLP, recently presented a paper entitled, "What's Wrong with Royalties in High Technology Industries?" which focuses on royalties paid by companies seeking to implement industry standards, such as those at issue in the FTC's case against Rambus. You can dowload the paper at this link.
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Statement on Rambus Appeal |
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Written by VoluntaryTrade.org staff
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Friday, 06 June 2008 18:57 |
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Arlington, Virginia (June 6, 2008) -- S.M. Oliva, president of the Voluntary Trade Council, issued the following statement tonight regarding Rambus v. Federal Trade Commission:
"News outlets have reported that the Federal Trade Commission has filed a petition for rehearing en banc with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals of the April 22 decision by a three-judge panel of that court reversing the FTC's orders against Rambus Incorporated. Since rehearing is denied in all but exceptional cases, today's move is likely a precursor to an eventual FTC petition to the Supreme Court. "The Voluntary Trade Council remains steadfastly behind Rambus and its efforts to bring an end to the FTC's six-year crusade to usurp the constitutional authority of the Article III courts. Today's filing by the FTC changes nothing. The panel's decision was solidly grounded in the facts and the law, two things the FTC has never grasped in this (or any other) case. "Beyond the harm to Rambus and its shareholders, the FTC's continued prosecution of this case goes against the public interest. Millions in taxpayer dollars have been squandered on what is now little more than a personal vendetta for the FTC commissioners and their staff. Even if the FTC manages to prevail on further appeal, no member of the public will benefit, except for those companies and antitrust lawyers who have already profited through their political connections to the FTC. "I will review the FTC's petition when it is made available and will issue further public statements as warranted." For additional information contact Mr. Oliva at (703) 740-8309 or info-at-voluntarytrade-dot-org. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 09 June 2008 21:08 )
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Suggested Reading
Antitrust: The Case for Repeal
Dominick T. Armentano
2nd ed. 1999
Purchase from Mises.org ...................................... 
Markets Don't Fail!
Brian P. Simpson
2005
Purchase from Amazon
...................................... 
The Antitrust Religion
Edwin S. Rockefeller
2007
Purchase from Cato.org
Read the review ...................................... 
Winners, Losers & Microsoft
Liebowitz & Margolis
1999
Purchase from Independent Institute
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