Description
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC EU Competition Law and the Information and Communication Technology Network Industries: Economic versus Legal Concepts in Pursuit of (Consumer) Welfare by Andrej Fatur
Competition policies have long been based on an intellectual approach characterised by static models and static analysis of industrial organisation. However recent developments in the study of industrial organisations has led to significant advances moving beyond traditional static models and a pre-occupation with price competition to consider the organisation of industries in a dynamic context. This is especially important in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) network industries where competition centres on network effects innovation and IP rights and the key driver of consumer benefit is technological progress. Consequently when an antitrust intervention is considered a number of considerations which arise out of the specific nature of the ICT sector have to be taken into account to ensure improved consumer welfare. This book considers the adequacy of existing EU competition policy in the area of ICT industries against the findings of modern economic theory. Particular attention is given to the implications of these dynamic markets for the competitive assessment and treatment of most common competitive harms in this area such as non-price predatory practices tying and bundling cooperative standard setting platform joint-ventures and cooperative R&D.