Antitrust and Trade Regulation Commons^™

Turkey’S Recent E-Commerce Amendments: A Critical Comparison With The Eu Digital Markets Act, Kaan Kocabas, Jurgita Malinauskaite

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

Recent regulatory reforms in Turkey aim to address the competitive risks posed by dominant digital platforms, particularly concerning data exploitation, self-preferencing, and discriminatory conduct. Rather than introducing a standalone competition law instrument, Turkey amended its Law on the Regulation of Electronic Commerce to embed competition-related obligations, raising questions about the consistency and coherence of enforcement. This article analyses the legal and institutional implications of these amendments, critically comparing Turkey’s approach with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). It argues that while the Turkish amendments reflect global regulatory trends, the lack of a dedicated competition framework risks creating enforcement conflicts …

Competitive Harms Of Unfair Commercial Practices In The E-Commerce Platforms Market: The Way Forward For Asean, Mei Fei Lee, Tze Chin Ong

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

The intricacies of unfair commercial practices within the e-commerce platforms market highlight a critical and urgent necessity for an evolution in both consumer protection and competition laws. As new consumer vulnerabilities emerge or existing ones are exacerbated in e-commerce, effective rules are needed to better protect consumers, govern businesses and regulate a healthy competitive dynamic in the market. This article examines the interplay between consumer protection law and competition law in addressing unfair commercial practices of e-commerce platforms. The large-scale deployment of unfair commercial practices by e-commerce platforms may result in anti-competitive effects, thereby undermining fair and effective market competition. …

Addressing The Abuse Of Monopsony Power In Labor Markets: Examining Potential Public And Civil Law Remedies And Sanctions, Zofia M. Mazur

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

Although thousands of reported cases involve allegations of firms illegally forming cartels in product markets, relatively few deal with similar allegations in labor markets. Moreover, as observed in legal doctrine, labor markets tend to be more concentrated than product markets and, consequently, more susceptible to anticompetitive conducts by undertakings. The article, therefore, analyzes the so-called monopsony power in the labor market, which refers to any case where employers hold labor market power that allows them to unilaterally determine wages or to worsen working conditions by reducing employment.

It is argued that competition law should be used to effectively curb abuse …

Muzaffer Eroğlu, Matthias Finger, And Emin Köksal (Ed.), The Economics And Regulation Of Digitalisation: The Case Of Türkiye, Routledge 2024, 296 P., Hanna Stakheyeva

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

In an age where digital transformation profoundly influences governance, commerce, and public policy, The Economics and Regulation of Digitalisation: The Case of Türkiye presents a timely and authoritative examination of Türkiye’s evolving digital ecosystem. Edited by Muzaffer Eroğlu (Boğaziçi University), Matthias Finger (İTÜ), and Emin Köksal (Bahçeşehir University), this multidisciplinary volume offers a rigorous analysis of digitalisation processes across diverse sectors—including infrastructure, FinTech, and social media—while critically addressing Türkiye’s legal and regulatory responses, particularly in the realm of competition law in digital markets. What sets this work apart is its dual focus: it positions Türkiye within broader global digital trends …

Fútbol Profesional, Derecho De La Competencia Y 'Fair Play', Stephen Ross

Faculty Scholarship

El presente ensayo examina la relación entre el derecho de la competencia y la noción de «Fair Play» en el ámbito del fútbol profesional. El autor comienza analizando el significado lingüístico y filosófico del término «Fair Play» y valorando cómo las diferentes interpretaciones de esta noción pueden influir en la percepción de lo que se entiende por justicia en el deporte. A continuación, compara la aplicación del derecho de la competencia en EE.UU. y Europa, destacando que, aunque hay diferencias, no existe un verdadero conflicto entre la noción de «Fair Play» y la normativa en materia de competencia. Finalmente, defiende …

The Impact Of Poland’S Membership In The European Union On The Privilege Of Entrepreneurs Against Self-Incrimination In Proceedings Concerning Anticompetitive Practices Conducted By The Polish Competition Authority, Anna Mlostoń-Olszewska

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

In 2024, Poland celebrates the twentieth anniversary of its membership in the European Union. This milestone presents a good opportunity to examine the development of Polish competition law, including whether and how the procedures applied in Polish competition protection proceedings have been influenced by EU competition law. Although, according to the principle of procedural autonomy, Member States have the ability to shape their procedural rules independently, it appears that over the past twenty years, EU law has had an impact on national procedures, particularly through legal solutions adopted in Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003, and later in Directive (EU) No …

(R)Ewolucja Stosowania Prawa Konkurencji Ue Do Sportu W Najnowszym Orzecznictwie Trybunału Sprawiedliwości Unii Europejskiej, Wojciech Lewandowski

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

The Court of Justice of the European Union delivered three judgments on 21/12/2023 modifying the functioning of the European model of sport. In the judgments of: the European Super League ( C-333/21), the Royal Antwerp Football Club (C-680/21), and the International Skating Union (C-124/21 P), EU’s most important judicial institution undertook a comprehensive and orderly interpretation of Articles 101, 102 and 106 of the TFEU, applying these provisions to the activities of sports federations in relation to the organization of professional sports competitions in Europe. The purpose of this text is to analyze the most relevant elements concerning the modification …

Legal Professional Privilege In Proceedings Before The Polish Competition Authority Over The 20 Years Of Poland’S Membership In The Eu, Anna Gulińska, Paweł Fortuna

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

The article presents how EU and Polish rules on the protection of the confidentiality of communications between a qualified lawyer and a client (legal professional privilege, LLP) have evolved over the 20 years of Poland’s membership in the European Union. In addition, the article attempts to critically assess current Polish legal provisions, as amended in 2023, particularly in light of EU case law. A generally positive assessment of introducing the self-standing rules on LPP into the Polish competition law system is supplemented by critical remarks aimed at developing an interpretation of these legal provisions, which fully takes into account EU …

Square Peg In A Round Hole? Sustainability As An Aim Of Antitrust Law, Michał Konrad Derdak

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

The ongoing debate on sustainability in antitrust only briefly refers to the established legal methodologies of interpretation. In particular, there seems to be hardly any reflection on the teleological interpretation of competition law in the context of making sustainable development the aim thereof. This is problematic, because a methodologically sound construction of the aims of law is instrumental not only for the interpretation of its provisions, but also for ensuring the rule of law and safeguarding the rights of individuals. This article is an attempt to trigger a discussion in this area by analysing whether promoting sustainability is, or can …

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Pty) Ltd V. Competition Commission And Another [2024] Zacc 3, Dunia P. Zongwe, Adolf N. Gariseb

SAIPAR Case Review

This article examines the South African Constitutional Court's decision on the public interest considerations in merger control, specifically concerning employment effects. The case involved Coca-Cola's retrenchments post-merger and the Competition Commission's notice of apparent breach. The Court's ruling clarifies the review standards for regulatory enforcement of merger conditions and the causal link required between a merger and subsequent employment decisions. The commentary highlights the paradox in South Africa's competition law, emphasising employment protection, though well-intentioned, may constrain economic flexibility. It argues that this employment-centric approach can lead to inefficiencies, diminish consumer welfare, and obscure market competitiveness as a public interest.

Digital Data-Driven Mergers: Is A Data-Sharing Remedy A Panacea?, Monika Woźniak-Cichuta

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

The article contributes to the current debate on the interplay between the data economy and competition law. First, on the basis of theories of harm related to datadriven merger, it is stated that such transactions require a particular assessment in merger control proceedings, rather than having them cleared unconditionally during phase 1. Such examination should take into consideration data-induced market power, not necessarily related to traditionally defined relevant markets. Therefore, it is postulated to take an ecosystem perspective on harm stemming from digital data-driven mergers. Second, the practice of the European Commission is outlined with regard to data-access remedies. It …

Tying Law For The Digital Age, Daniel A. Crane

Notre Dame Law Review

Tying arrangements, a central concern of antitrust policy since the early days of the Sherman and Clayton Acts, have come into renewed focus with respect to the practices of dominant technology companies. Unfortunately, tying law’s doctrinal structure is a self-contradictory and incoherent wreck. A conventional view holds that this mess is due to errant Supreme Court precedents, never fully corrected, that expressed hostility to tying based on faulty economic understanding. That is only part of the story. Examination of tying law’s origins and development shows that tying doctrine was built on a now-dated paradigm of what constitutes a tying arrangement. …

Researching Antitrust Law, Keith Lacy

Law Librarian Scholarship

Antitrust is a dynamic area of law subject to rapid change. It is highly sensitive to the attitudes of regulators and market conditions, always looking forward to how decisions made today will affect businesses and the lives of individual consumers. Current events — and passionate consumers, or fans — can incur “Swift” antitrust scrutiny, as Live Nation Entertainment discovered recently.

Yet it is inextricably linked to more abstract considerations. The term “antitrust” is itself archaic, reflecting animosity to a business practice innovated by Standard Oil in 1882. Understanding the history of antitrust actions often requires understanding something of history broadly …

Innovation Misunderstood, Maurice E. Stucke, Ariel Ezrachi

Scholarly Works

Innovation is transformative and key to future prosperity. It is therefore of no surprise that antitrust laws seek to promote it. What is surprising, however, is that despite the central role that innovation occupies in competition cases, its actual treatment by the courts is far from nuanced.

In this paper, we reflect on the D.C. Circuit’s 2023 ruling in N.Y. v Meta to illustrate the prevailing monocular vision adopted by the court in its treatment of innovation. That vision, we argue, reflects simplistic assumptions as to innovation dynamics and mistaken beliefs about the digital economy. It is further compounded by …

Exploring The Nexus Between European Competition Law And Democratic Society: A Case Of Political Microtargeting, Viktorija Morozovaite, Anna Gerbrandy

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

The nexus between European competition law and democracy has been widely researched. Against the background of the ongoing digital transition and the power of big technology companies, this contribution aims to advance the debate by focusing on a specific example of political microtargeting and its effects on the (digital) public sphere. It explores the potential role of European competition law in ameliorating these emergent harms. The argument is developed by showing that the role of big technology companies in political microtargeting processes extends beyond passive facilitators. By following financial incentives and treating citizens as consumers, these companies, in effect, reduce …

Media Pluralism And Competition In The Media Sector: The Italian Experience, Valeria Caforio

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

In economic sectors where constitutional principles come to the fore, legislators must reconcile individual rights and freedoms with market principles, such as the arm’s length principle, and economic freedoms, particularly the freedom to conduct business. This balance is particularly significant in the media sector, where the principle of media pluralism is paramount. Media pluralism, as acknowledged by the Italian Constitutional Court in 1988, encompasses two dimensions: internal pluralism, which secures citizens’ access to diverse, objective, and impartial information (individual freedoms); and external pluralism, which prevents the concentration of resources among a limited group of economic actors (economic freedoms). Against this …

Hearing Officers In Competition Proceedings Conducted By The European Commission For The Implementation Of Article 101 And 102 Tfeu, Justyna Kownacka

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

The article analyzes the role played by the Hearing Officer in competition proceedings conducted by the European Commission to implement Article 101 and 102 TFEU. Currently, the Hearing Officer is a guarantor of the effective exercise of procedural rights in the course of all competition proceedings before the EC, while contributing to the objectivity, transparency and efficiency of the proceedings. The article also discusses the proposals to change the scope of the powers of the Hearing Officer, as reported in doctrine and literature, and refers to the possibility and legitimacy of introducing such institution into Polish competition law.

Irrelevant Markets, Jan Polański

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

There is a widespread view in Polish antitrust literature that it is necessary to define the relevant market in every antitrust case. The above is in contradiction with, for example, the approach adopted in EU law. However, it is pointed out that such an obligation results in Polish law, in particular, from the actual wording of the Act on Competition and Consumer Protection. This article aims to defend the opposite thesis: defining relevant markets is not always necessary, and emphasis on defi ning them every time is even harmful and leads to the defi nition of “irrelevant” markets.

Overview Of New Soft-Law Materials Designed To Promote Competition Law Compliance In Serbia, Maja Dobrić

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

The last three years have been very dynamic for the competition authority in Serbia. The newly elected Council and President of the Commission for Protection of Competition (Serbian NCA) have brought a much-needed change to competition enforcement in Serbia, shifting the focus of enforcement from solely individual cases, to looking at the bigger picture and promoting competition law compliance as the preferred business model. During this period, the Serbian NCA has published several soft-law instruments, issuing its first Guidelines for Drafting compliance programmes, accompanied by a Template compliance programme and two compliance Checklists, aimed at identifying competition law related risks. …

Protecting The Rights Of Sellers On Multilateral Platforms Under The Digital Markets Act (Dma) Regime – Selected Issues, Adrian Żądło

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

This article discusses the two legal regimes that will apply in the future to the operation of multilateral marketplace platforms – the fi rst arising from general EU competition law, and the second introduced through the application of the Digital Markets Act. The former is discussed based on reports, legal literature, and the decisions issued by the European Commission in the combined cases AT.40462 Amazon Marketplace and AT.40703 Amazon Buy Box. The other legal regime to affect the operation of multilateral marketplace platforms is based on an analysis of the Digital Markets Act and other relevant legislation. Finally, after the …

Antitrust For Dominant Digital Platforms: An Alternative To The Monopoly Power Standard To Restore Competition, Jordan Ramsey

Senior Honors Theses

Antitrust law is meant to promote competition by prohibiting anticompetitive business practices such as mergers and acquisitions as well as exclusionary conduct. Judicial interpretation of antitrust law has allowed dominant digital platforms to undertake anticompetitive actions without prosecution. The Sherman Antitrust Act should be amended to remove the monopoly power standard that allows firms to engage in anticompetitive conduct as long as the conduct does not create or uphold monopoly power. The amendment would make anticompetitive conduct illegal regardless of monopoly power, as long as six proof requirements are met. This would result in lessened market concentration, which would benefit …

Harmonisation Of The Powers Of Ncas In Eu Member States. A Few Remarks On The Basis Of The Experience Of The Czech Republic And Poland After The Deadline For Transposition Of The Ecn+ Directive Has Passed, Paulina Korycińska-Rządca, Eva Zorková

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

This article critically discusses how legal frameworks in the Czech Republic and Poland correspond to the requirements of ECN+ Directive with regard to the powers of NCAs. For that purpose, the authors analyse the obligations of EU Member States – within this scope – under this directive, as well as legal frameworks in the Czech Republic and Poland. Subsequently, the article compares the manner of regulating these issues in the national legal orders of these countries to the standard required by ECN+ Directive. The aim of this publication is to verify whether, and how, these two EU Member States meet …

Mandatory Infringement, Charles Duan

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration required the use of chlorofluorocarbon-free propellants in albuterol inhalers. But 3M held patents on the only U.S.-approved chlorofluorocarbon-free inhaler. The agency’s regulations forced multiple generic albuterol manufacturers to choose between infringing 3M’s patents or exiting the market. This state of affairs was lucrative for 3M, perhaps good for the environment, bad for competition, and terrible for patients faced with high costs for essential medical devices. This is an example of a general phenomenon: mandatory infringement. Intellectual property prohibits certain activities, but sometimes the government also mandates these very same activities. Such situations arise …

On Firms, Sanjukta Paul

Law & Economics Working Papers

This paper is about firms as an instance of economic coordination, and about how we think about them in relation to other forms of coordination as well as in relation to competition and markets. The dominant frame for thinking about firms--which has strongly influenced contemporary competition law as well as serving as a vital adjunct to the fundamental concepts of neoclassical price theory that guide many areas of law and policy--implicitly or explicitly explains and justifies the centralization of both decision-making rights and flows of income from economic activity on productive efficiency grounds. We have very good reasons to doubt …

A Pop Culture Guide To Antitrust, Spencer Weber Waller

Faculty Publications & Other Works

Antitrust is having quite a moment. New competition cases and investigations abound in the United States and around the world, challenging the dominance of tech platforms and other powerful firms. There are numerous legislative changes under consideration. The new Presidential Order on competition1 and other proposals for change all indicate additional changes are coming. But is antitrust also being depicted in popular culture in a way that fairly reflects the law and its current relevance?

More importantly, where can you go for a good movie, TV show, book, or Broadway show about the area of law that has been called …

Contested Places, Utility Pole Spaces: A Competition And Safety Framework For Analyzing Utility Pole Association Rules, Roles, And Risks, Catherine J.K. Sandoval

Catholic University Law Review

As climate change augurs longer wildfire seasons, safe, reliable, and competitive energy and communications markets depend on sound infrastructure and well-calibrated regulation. The humble wooden utility pole, first deployed in America in 1844 to extend telegraph service, forms the twenty-first century’s technological scaffold. Utility poles are increasingly contested places where competition, safety, and reliability meet. Yet, regulators and academics have largely overlooked the risks posed by century-old private utility pole associations in California, composed of private and public utility pole owners and some entities who attach facilities to utility poles. No academic articles have examined the rules, roles, and risks …

Do Legal Origins Predict Legal Substance?, Anu Bradford, Yun-Chien Chang, Adam S. Chilton, Nuno Garoupa

Faculty Scholarship

There is a large body of research in economics and law suggesting that the legal origin of a country – that is, whether its legal regime is based on English common law or French, German, or Nordic civil law – profoundly impacts a range of outcomes. However, the exact relationship between legal origin and legal substance has been disputed in the literature and not fully explored with nuanced legal coding. We revisit this debate while leveraging novel cross-country data sets that provide detailed coding of two areas of laws: property and antitrust. We find that having shared legal origins strongly …

Uber Case, Competition Law Implications In Europe And Latin America: Defenders Of The Old Economy Versus Advocates Of The Digital Revolution, Lavinia Meliti

ILSA Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

Submission Of Robert H. Lande To House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee Investigation Of Digital Platforms, Robert H. Lande

All Faculty Scholarship

The House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee asked me to submit suggestions concerning the adequacy of existing antitrust laws, enforcement policies, and enforcement levels insofar as they impact the state of competition in the digital marketplace. My submission recommends the following nine reforms:

1. A textualist analysis of the Sherman Act shows that Section 2 actually is a no-fault monopolization statute. At a minimum Congress should enact a strong presumption that every firm with a 67% market share has violated Section 2. This would move the Sherman Act an important step in the right direction, the direction Congress intended in 1890. My …

Neobrandisianism And The Political Content Of Antitrust, Jan Polański

internetowy Kwartalnik Antymonopolowy i Regulacyjny (internet Quarterly on Antitrust and Regulation)

The rise of Big Tech reinvigorated the debate on the role of antitrust enforcement. While in Europe antitrust authorities have taken an active stance on policing the actions of Big Tech, in the United States the emergence of the digital giants provided a platform to voice concerns over the philosophy underlying modern antitrust. The prevailing view that antitrust should become more and more economic and less ‘political’ has been questioned by the supporters of the New Brandeis Movement, who argue that ‘antitrust is dead’. According to Neo-Brandisians, for antitrust to be reborn, a fundamental change in the perception of antitrust …