Michael Bromwich has issued his first report. Bromwich is the antitrust monitor empowered by a federal court to “reform” Apple Inc.’s corporate culture from within. Be afraid . . . be very afraid.
Once again, some of America’s most admired and innovative companies — in this case Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe, Intuit, Pixar, and LucasFilm — have fallen victim to an antitrust shakedown.
One of antitrust law’s most notorious features is its unpredictability. For example, two large companies that desire to merge their operations cannot know in advance whether their plan is lawful.
When I speak to audiences about the evils of antitrust, people are sometimes startled to learn that executives are serving time behind bars for violating the Sherman Act of 1890 and other antitrust statutes.
Ready for another lesson in how antitrust law penalizes America’s best companies for their excellence? Consider the private antitrust suits recently filed against Keurig Green Mountain, the company that invented the popular “K-cup” single-serve coffee pods.
Over at ArsTechnica.com, Jon Brodkin has a fascinating discussion of the regulatory maze that confronts Comcast in its effort to consummate a $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable.
Attempting to rally public opinion against the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, New York Times economist Paul Krugman has trotted out the usual array of fear-mongering antitrust platitudes.