A Brief History of Antitrust Law – Part Three
This series condenses the history of antitrust law and enforcement to make it easier for readers to gain a practical understanding of how antitrust thinking and jurisprudence have evolved over the last century and a half. In Part Three, we will focus on the return to reason.
Google $2.1 Billion Fitbit Acquisition Hits EU Snag
The News: Google’s $2.1 billion Fitbit acquisition the fitness-tracking company, is running into some friction in Europe as consumer groups and regulators continue to raise concerns about the risk of such an acquisition. Top of mind is concern about Google potentially gaining an unfair advantage by using health data collected from Fitbit users to improve […]
36 States Sue Google Over Aggressive Terms As Big Tech Remains In Focus
This summer has seen a wave of antitrust lawsuits and proposed bills targeting big tech — and there are no signs of slowing. Just this past week, 36 states and the District of Columbia sued Googleover claims that it monopolized the distribution of apps on mobile devices that run Google-owned Android OS, and blocked competition […]
Intel says – “I’ll see your IP move and raise you a fab” and more thoughts on the news of talks about an Intel GlobalFoundries acquisition – Futurum Tech Webcast
In this episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, I’m joined by my colleagues Daniel Newman and Fred McClimans to discuss the reports of Intel Corp being in talks to buy semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries for about $30 billion. There’s no doubt the silicon industry is in the midst of a crisis — limited fab capabilities and […]
The 5 New Antitrust Bills being Considered by Lawmakers – Futurum Tech Webcast
In this episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, my colleague Olivier Blanchard and I engage in a drill-down conversation around the five new antitrust bills congress brought forward last week aimed at Big Tech, and what the likely ramifications are for reach. Our discussion examined: The Ending Platform Monopolies Act which proposes that Congress can […]
The Problem with Congress’s 5 New Antitrust Bills Aimed at Reining In U.S. Big Tech
Last Friday, House Democrats introduced five new antitrust-style bills aimed at curtailing the market dominance of U.S. technology companies. Futurum’s Olivier Blanchard breaks down the nuances of the bills, outlines the problems with each, and shares thoughts on the challenges ahead.
UK Consumer Advocacy Group Which? Lawsuit Against Qualcomm Seems Doomed Already
The News: Which?, a UK-based consumer advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm on Feb. 18 with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleging anticompetitive behavior. Claimant Which? bills itself as a consumer champion, engaging in product research and reviews to help customers “make confident choices.” In its claim, Which? alleges that Qualcomm […]
Big Tech Spent Millions to Block Bipartisan Antitrust Bills
Big Tech and their industry groups spent millions of dollars in a multiyear congressional effort to block key bipartisan antitrust bills targeting the nation’s four largest tech firms. Antitrust supporters pushed hard for major legislation to rein in the power of Big Tech before the close of this year. Several antitrust reform proposals to give […]
How the European Commission’s Defective Case Against Amazon is Likely to Unravel Along Already Discernible Fault Lines
The European Commission has launched back-to-back antitrust investigations into Amazon’s business practices in the EU. In an era where Big Tech keeps getting bigger, antitrust investigations and lawsuits are becoming commonplace. These two new investigations are only the latest ones to hit one of the “big four” tech companies. However, unlike previous investigations and lawsuits, […]
Qualcomm Exonerated by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, Court Declines Final FTC Petition
The News: Qualcomm has been exonerated by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, with the Court yesterday declining the Federal Trade Commission’s petition to “rehear” arguments against Qualcomm. This effectively puts an end to the FTC’s dubious antitrust case against the San Diego tech giant. In August, a three-judge panel with the 9th Circuit […]
US Antitrust Action against Google Could Come Sooner than Expected
The News: US antitrust action against Google could come sooner than expected, as it’s reported the Department of Justice plans to file an antitrust case against Google in the next few weeks over concerns regarding the company’s search, advertising, and ecosystem dominance. Several dozen state attorneys general are simultaneously investigating Google’s potential antitrust behaviors as […]
Escalating App Store War Between Apple and Developers Likely to Bleed into Antitrust Probes in US and EU
The News: In a move that is certain to impact mounting antitrust probes in the US and EU, Apple has removed Fortnite, Epic Games’ popular battle royale game, from its App Store. This action follows the developer’s implementation of its own in-app payment system which aims to bypass Apple’s standard 30% fee. Escalating App Store […]
