Antitrust and Technology Platforms

• Semester: Spring 2024
• Course ID: 296W
• Credit Hours: 2
• Unique: 28674

Description

This class is intended for students who have already taken Antitrust or Internet Law and Policy. 

Federal antitrust doctrine is grounded in economic analysis and the consumer welfare standard, but there is a robust policy debate about whether it can adequately address concerns about dominant internet firms while facilitating dynamic competition and innovation, consistent with the purpose of the antitrust laws.  This course will examine the relevant statutes, major cases, and government enforcement actions involving Section 2 of the Sherman Act, studied through the lens of several recent and ongoing historic cases involving internet platforms.  Merger analysis under Section 7 of the Clayton Act will also be taught to understand its application to technology and innovation markets, and to illustrate differences under Section 2 approaches.  Students will read and discuss court decisions and litigation materials from Epic v. Apple and the Google Play Store Antitrust Litigation (app store fees); FTC and NY v. Meta Platforms (social networking); and U.S. and Plaintiff States v. Google (search and ad tech).  The class will also examine recent legislation in the U.S. and Europe aimed at regulating dominant internet firms.

Students will be graded based on class participation, written responses to reading assignments, and a short paper or drafting exercise.