The WTO's First Antitrust Case - Mexican Telecom: A Sleeping Victory for Trade and Competition

A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute panel has decided theWTO’s first antitrust case. It resolved the matter infavour of the United States’ claim that Mexico had anticompetitivelyfacilitated exploitative prices and a cartel that raised theprice of terminating cross-border telephone calls in Mexicoand thereby harmed trade and competition. The case is Mexico– Measures Affecting Telecommunications Services (April2004) (‘the Mexican telecom case’). This essay arguesthat if the WTO’s antitrust clause was in fact triggered(which is a point of contention), Mexico’s conduct violatedits obligations. Furthermore, it argues that the GATS antitrustobligation in the telecommunications sector should be acknowledgedas occupying an important place at the intersection of trade,competition and industrial policies. Antitrust law is the otherside of the coin of liberal trade law. Antitrust law opens marketsby prohibiting private and other commercial restraints, whiletrade law opens markets by prohibiting public restraints. BeforeMexican telecom, no legal discipline was regarded as copiousor flexible enough to address combined public and private restraints.In particular, nations were allowed free rein to privilege nationalchampions that harmed competition in and out of their country,imposing costs on outsiders as well as on their own people.A positive reading of the antitrust clause helps to fill thegap.     

论反垄断法的伦理基础

对反垄断伦理的研究能够给反垄断提供更加深刻的解释力。竞争正义是反垄断法的伦理基石,反垄断法研究必须解答何谓正义的竞争这一问题。竞争自由是竞争正义的前提条件,竞争效率是反垄断法的核心理念,竞争公平是反垄断法永恒的价值追求。     

Antitrust, health care quality, and the courts

Antitrust law represents the principal legal tool that the United States employs to police private markets, yet it often relegates quality and nonprice considerations to a secondary position. While antitrust law espouses the belief that vigorous competition will enhance quality as well as price, little evidence exists of the practical ability of courts to deliver on that promise. In this Article, Professors Hammer and Sage examine American health care as a vehicle for advancing understanding of the nexus among competition, quality, and antitrust law. The Article reports results of a comprehensive empirical review of judicial opinions in health care antitrust litigation between 1985 and 1999, with specific attention to courts' handling of quality and other nonprice concerns. Professors Hammer and Sage conclude that, although antitrust law cannot be expected to serve as the sole oversight mechanism for industries as complex and quality dependent as health care, courts have been successful incorporating some nonprice factors into antitrust analysis.     

Price-wage nexus and the role of a tax system

The presented study was aimed to test empirically major economic hypotheses dealing with long-term relationships between wages, producer prices, prices of consumer goods and services, the consumer price index, productivity of labour, unemployment and payroll expenses other than wages themselves. It is particularly important for this approach to distinguish between net wages shaping employees’ decisions and gross wages driving employers’ decisions. Because the variables are generated by non-stationary stochastic processes integrated of order 1 and 2, the analytical tool applied was a vector equilibrium correction model, VEqCM. The findings demonstrate that prices and payroll expenses are the major sources of shocks in the system in question. Wages and prices (particularly producer prices) are the most sensitive to this type of stochastic trends. In the Polish economy prices are integrated of order two, so they can be effectively influenced by anti-inflationary policy.     

Exclusion payments in patent settlements: a legal and economic perspective

Legal context. The application of antitrust law to assess settlementsof patent litigation raises difficult issues concerning theappropriate balance of patent law and competition policy. Recentprivate and public invocations of US antitrust law to challengesettlement agreements covering pharmaceutical patents have broughtthese issues to the forefront. The agreements share the commonfeature of an ‘exclusion payment’ from a brand-namedrug manufacturer (the patentee) to a generic drug manufacturer(the accused infringer) in exchange for a promise by the genericcompany to refrain from marketing its product for some time.US federal courts that have examined these agreements have variedin their approach and conclusions regarding the appropriateantitrust analysis to be applied to these settlements. Key points. This article argues that informed antitrust analysisof such agreements must take due note of the ‘probabilistic’nature of patent property rights. Practical significance. The article concludes that exclusionpayments fall outside the scope of a patent's exclusionary scopeand thus are subject to antitrust scrutiny. It demonstratesthat barring anticompetitive exclusion payments in settlementnegotiation prevents collusive bargains that harm consumer welfarewithout discouraging efficient settlements.     

Cartels and regulation: effects on prices and real sales in sweden (1976–1990)

We estimate the effects of competition and regulatory policies on prices and real sales in Sweden during the period 1976?C1990. We find evidence supporting the hypothesis that prices were higher on average in those markets affected by horizontal collusion, and therefore lower real sales. Market concentration and lower foreign trade are significantly associated with higher prices. We also observe how prices (output) tend to rise (fall) around cartel formations and fall (rise) around cartel termination as theories of cartels suggest.     

The Case for a Multilateral Agreement on Competition Policy: A Developing Country Perspective

Although the issue of trade and competition policy has beendropped from the Work Programmes of the Doha Round of WorldTrade Organization (WTO) negotiations, it continues to be discussedin other fora and may return to the WTO after the completionof the Round. This article assesses the case for an agreementfrom the perspective of developing countries. It begins by reviewingthe ‘development dimension’ of the WTO debate andthen examines three specific antitrust issues that were of considerablerelevance to developing countries but were not pursued: exportcartels, anti-dumping and intellectual property rights (IPRs).There follows a critical assessment of the empirical and theoreticalarguments for the kind of agreement that was being advocatedto deal with international cartels. Alternative proposals, involvingdeveloping countries ‘outsourcing’ antitrust enforcementto developed countries, are also sceptically examined, as isthe relevance for developing countries of the kind of competitionpolicy that is currently in place in developed countries. Finally,a general approach to international trade agreements suggeststhat developing countries had nothing to gain from the proposalthat was on the table, and the article concludes by proposinga range of more suitable alternatives.     

Taming digital gatekeepers: the ‘more regulatory approach’ to antitrust law

Antitrust enforcement and competition policy in the digital economy is high on the agenda of authorities and policymakers. The distinctive features of digital markets and the strategic role played by large platforms apparently require a rethinking of the antitrust regime. Several reform proposals point to the need to integrate the antitrust toolkit with ex ante measures since there is a risk that ex post enforcement would be too slow to successfully keep markets competitive and contestable. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the invoked regulatory approach reflects the distinctive structural features of digital markets or whether it is just an enforcement short-cut.     

网络型公用企业竞争的法律规制

规制法治化是网络型公用企业竞争的必要前提,以事业法和反垄断法规制为其主要内容。事业法规制包括市场准入与退出规制、价格规制、互联互通与接入费规制、禁止交叉补贴与普遍服务规制、不对称规制等,其价值取向为涵盖在位生产者、潜在竞争者、交易者和消费者的福利在内的经济效率与社会公平之间的均衡;反垄断法规制包括滥用网络优势行为规制、合并与拆分规制、联合限制竞争规制、行政垄断规制等,其价值取向为“有限竞争自由→适度竞争自由→充分竞争自由”的发展。就法律位阶体系而言,反垄断法应为“基本法律”,而事业法为“非基本法律”,反垄断法应优于事业法。     

格式条款标准化的垄断协议认定

传统的逆向选择模型将低质量格式条款的生成归因于需求端的认知缺陷;共谋模型将低质量维持原因解释为供给端的共谋,为反垄断法介入提供依据。格式条款标准化的横向垄断协议认定应满足《反垄断法》第13条规定的形式要件与效果要件,采用一般举证规则作为分析模式,由原告证明其"协议、决定或协同行为"形式及反竞争效果。形式要件以"形式与反竞争效果的尽可能耦合"为逻辑起点,应基于市场力的持久性与显著性标准加以重构。反竞争效果要件以对竞争的实质限制为标准,参照美国法实践,可通过质量或交易自由限制路径证成。     

POLICING CORPORATE COLLUSION*

This is a documentary study of the origin and investigation of all criminal prosecutions of collusive trade agreements filed by the Antitrust Division, US. Department of Justice from 1946 through 1970. The methodology seeks to reconstruct these cases from previously classified investigative files of the division. Observations include the sources of organizational intelligence, investigative methods, and encounters among antitrust victims, offenders, and officials. Most cases originate with complainants and informants outside the agency, but most evidence is obtained with the cooperation of offenders, who usually receive immunity or leniency in return. The conclusions suggest that public exposure of trade conspiracies serves as a deterrent despite weak penalties.     

COMPETITION POLICY IN CHINA AND ITS RELEVANCE TO SMES

Competition policy has great relevance to all the firms in any economy. Even though it is unlikely that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have enough market power to constrain competition through a misuse of such power, they may still face prosecution if they are involved in a boycott of competitors or suppliers, price-fixing, output-restriction and other monopoly agreements. This article discusses antitrust issues pertaining to SMEs with a focus on China’s Anti-Monopoly Law (AML) and its implementation rules. Contrary to the popular view that SMEs benefit from competition laws, evidence shows that they are reluctant to get involved in antitrust litigation against large firms partly because of the high legal costs involved. There is an urgent need to promote an awareness of antitrust compliance in China and to educate SMEs about the need to avoid breaching the new antitrust law and its associated regulations. In the meantime, SMEs should take full advantage of the antitrust laws to fight against the abuse of market dominance directed at them, and to gain equal opportunities to market access.     

“入世”对我国价格和价格宏观调控的影响及其对策

加入WTO以后，我国的关税将大幅度降低，非关税贸易保护措施削弱，贸易自由化程度提高，国内市场的各类商品将进一步放开，国内外市场的商品将进行公开的、无扭曲的公平竞争，这就为我国的国内市场价格与国际市场价格的对接，为价格的宏观调控的改革提供了前所未有的机遇。“入世”后，国际市场价格对国内市场价格的冲击主要集中在国内的第三产业价格及收费和第一产业的农产品价格。面对“入世”的新情况，为了维护我国的产业安全，我们必须加大市场价格体系的改革力度，形成新的价格体系和价格管理制度。     

反垄断法的终极目的及其司法保障

反垄断法的目的具有宣示性和导向性,为所有的实体规则和程序规则提供价值基础。如果反垄断法的目的设置不当或者混乱,将增大反垄断法实施的难度,削弱反垄断法的主题。传统观点认为,反垄断法的目的只在于维护有效的公平竞争秩序,但相对于保护消费者权益的终极目的而言,这种目的只是工具性的。这在立法上有明显的体现,在学理上有充分的理由并在司法上有广泛的实践。我国未来的反垄断立法、执法与司法应当将保护消费者权益作为其终极目的。     

试论GATT/WTO协定之私人执行——一个美国法的视角

私人执行GATT/WTO协定是指私人如何行使在GATT/WTO协定下的国家贸易权利。"1934年体制"下"进口竞争性产业"与"出口导向性产业"之间的博弈使得美国国会与总统在共同行使国家经济主权中,通过缔结GATT/WTO协定,为美国创设了市场准入权利与贸易救济权利。这些贸易权利要在国内法中被私人执行,则必须创新国内进口与出口贸易救济制度。     

反垄断法宽恕制度的理论基础与实效保障

发源于美国反垄断法之宽恕制度,具有明显的依赖性、契约性和威慑性特征。由于该制度在反垄断执法中对于及时发现和查处秘密卡特尔发挥了重要作用,因此,被许多国家和地区反垄断法所参照,成为推动反垄断法有效实施的重要工具之一。坚实的经济学基础和法理学基础,是该制度合理性的依据所在,也是其功效得以发挥的重要基础;具体的适用条件、严厉的处罚措施、确定的减免待遇和诚实信用原则的遵守是其效力得以实现的重要保障。我国《反垄断法》虽然也引进了宽恕制度,但未设计具体有效的实效保障措施,应借鉴其他国家和地区的经验予以完善。     

The economic analysis of antitrust consents

Henry G. Manne, our friend, Mentor, and colleague, was a pioneer in the economic analysis of law. By consistently challenging the notion that existing institutions were well understood, he expanded the domain of economics to new and fertile ground. In that spirit, our goal in this article is to bring out of the shadows an institution that has thus far evaded the light of economic analysis: antitrust consents. In our view, competition authorities around the world should be asking themselves what ratio of litigation to settlement is optimal for their agency. Over the last 35 years, the United States Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice have shifted dramatically toward greater reliance upon consent decrees than upon litigation to resolve antitrust disputes. As an aid to national competition agencies considering the desirability of adopting a similar approach, we focus upon the importance of economic analysis in evaluating movement along the continuum from a law enforcement model to a regulatory model of agency behavior. We draw upon the U.S. experience to substantiate our claim that the costs associated with a shift toward the regulatory model, including the potential distortion in the development of substantive antitrust doctrine, may be under-appreciated and discernable only in the long run. We acknowledge that consent decrees can and should be an important tool in an antitrust agency’s toolkit for resolving antitrust disputes. We contend, however, that a full economic analysis of reliance primarily upon consent decrees is necessary to inform each competition agency’s strategic decision about the optimal mix of law enforcement and regulatory techniques.     

The Welfare Effects of Research and Production Joint Ventures

This paper develops a model to analyze behavior and welfare effects of a research and production joint venture (JV). In the model, a research dollar is more productive if spent in the joint venture because it increases the achievable probability of new product introduction. This efficiency of research and production joint ventures offsets, to some degree, the loss due to higher consumer prices. For some parameter configurations and joint venture membership rules, research and production joint ventures yield higher social welfare than research-only joint ventures (RJVs). This contrasts with some of the industrial organization literature on research collaboration and with traditional antitrust views.     

Property Rights, Technology, and Internet Distribution

Lost in the discussion of the rapid growth of e-commerce is the role of the Internet as a means for the direct distribution of electronic goods and services. Any product that can be reduced to a string of digital code—text, images, and data—is capable of being transmitted over the Internet. These information intensive goods fall into three broad and overlapping categories: information goods, professional services, and entertainment goods. This paper discusses the implications of Internet distribution for competition, product quality, and pricing in consumer markets and how encryption technology addresses the property rights questions raised by online distribution.     

障碍与释疑:反垄断法适用于银行业的理论澄清

法律适用的明晰是开展法律规制实践的必要前提。虽然反垄断法的适用障碍表现出法律效力的"自我否定"倾向,但是这种制度设计源于对行业发展规律和合理规则方法的尊重。伴随市场经济的发展和管制行业的开放浪潮,反垄断法适用障碍具有主客观两方面的消弭倾向,其适用范围不断扩张。市场化进程的推进使得作为垄断性行业的银行业逐渐回归市场竞争的发展本质,"新型"的反垄断规制和"传统"的金融规制也会因此产生此消彼长的态势转变。《反垄断法》适用于银行业的实然逻辑在于既有法律规则范畴下的解释合法性、银行业市场发展演变的行业合理性以及我国反垄断规制发展脉络下的可期待性。