The Antitrust Hotch Potch

SSRN Ranking of competition law authors

Hereafter is a list of the most downloaded competiiton law authors on SSRN, over the past year.

1. Damien Geradin (College of Europe and Tilburg University) – 4,301
2. David Evans (University College London) – 2,932
3. Spencer Waller (Loyola Chicago) – 2,122
4. Jonathan Baker (American University) – 1,759
5. Keith Hylton (Boston University) – 1,476
6. Phil Weiser (University of Colorado) – 1,436
7. Randal Picker (University of Chicago) – 1,293
8. Josh Wright (George Mason) – 1,287
9. Herb Hovenkamp (University of Iowa) – 1,194
10. Daniel Sokol (University of Florida) – 1,014

Congratulations to Damien! (courtesy of D. Sokol's blog)

Nicolas

Lunch Talk on Deutsche Telekom - New Date - 1 July

The lunch talk with A. Verheyden and S. Ohlhoff has been rescheduled on 1 July (see below for registration form). Hopefully this time, we will not experience IT problems when mailing the programme.

Download microsoft_word_registration_form_34th_gclc_lunch_talk_1_july_2008.pdf

Nicolas

Slides on non-competition concerns under the ECMR

The slides presented by the speakers at the 25 April conference on non-competition concerns under the ECMR can be downloaded below.

Download a_winclkler_industrial_policy_slides.pdf

Download m_van_der_woude_energy_policy_and_the_ecmr.pdf

Download m_van_kerckhove_noncompetition_aspects_under_the_ecmr.pdf

Download r_allendesalazar_spanish_saga_003.pdf 

Download t_jestaedt_data_protection_merger_control.pdf

Nicolas

Conference on 5 May - Alternative Enforcement Techniques

Please note that we still have a number of seats available for our conference next week. The registration form can be downloaded below.

Philippe Lambrecht, the Secretary General of the FEB, has kindly advertised the conference on the business law net website. See here for the video and text.

Nicolas

Download alternative_enforcement_techniques_5_june_2008_programme_and_registration_form.pdf

NMa Movie on Leniency Programmes

Cartel cases are often reminiscent of good crime stories.

Now, check this out. Almost as good as 24. Congratulations to the NMa.

Nicolas

PS: I warmly recommend the reading of S. Larsson's Millenium trilogy (pics of French edition).

From theory to practice

In most competition law and economics textbooks, OPEC is presented as a prime illustration of the harmful effects of cartellization. Yet, it is also a frustrating example. OPEC's members are governments, over which Article 81 EC cannot apply.

The situation may nonetheless change, in so far as US antitrust law is concerned. As reported below, the US house of representatives Tuesday passed a bill authorizing the federal government to sue OPEC in US courts over alleged price fixing.

Nicolas

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The House of Representatives Tuesday passed a bill authorizing the federal government to sue OPEC in US courts over alleged price fixing, in the latest swipe at the cartel over skyrocketing oil prices.

The bill passed the Democratic-led House by 324 to 84 votes, on a day when the price of oil soared to a record above 129 dollars a barrel.

"The House today with a strong bipartisan and veto-proof margin voted to hold foreign oil cartels and Big Oil accountable," Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

President George W. Bush has however threatened to veto the legislation, although its margin of passage in the House suggested Democrats may get a two-thirds majority needed to sustain the largely symbolic measure.

"Instead of using a veto threat to shield cartels and Big Oil companies from accountability, the Bush Administration should work with the Congress to protect American consumers," Pelosi said.

The White House warned that the bill could discourage foreign investment in the US economy, subject US firms abroad to reprisals, and could end up limiting oil supplies, raising prices and threatening US jobs.

The bill would allow the US Justice Department to subject OPEC member nations to the same anti-trust laws as US firms face.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which produces 40 percent of the world's oil, comprises Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

Democratic White House candidate Hillary Clinton has repeatedly threatened to amend anti-trust law to confront OPEC, and promised to tackle the group through the World Trade Organization (WTO), if elected president.

Seminar on Private Enforcement in Tilburg

On 20 June, TILEC (Tilburg University) organizes a seminar on private enforcement. See link hereafter for programme and registration form

http://www.tilburguniversity.nl/tilec/events/conferences/20062008/

Damien

Important Notice

Please note that for unexpected IT problems, we are obliged to cancel this Friday's lunch talk on Deutsche Telekom. Our apologies. The event will be rescheduled in late June/early July.

Please also note that registrations for the GCLC Annual Conference are still open.

Nicolas

Fourth Annual Conference of the GCLC

The GCLC will have its fourth annual conference on 19 and 20 June in Brussels. The topic: current trends and issues in cartel enforcement. See below for the programme.

Download gclc_4th_annual_conference_1920_jun_08_programme_and_registration.pdf

Nicolas

Next GCLC Lunch Talk on 23 May - CFI judgment in Deutsche Telekom

The next GCLC Lunch Talk will take place on 23 May. A. Verheyden (Jones Day) and S. Ohlhoff (WilmerHale) will discuss the recent CFI ruling in Deutsche Telekom v. Commission. See below for registration form.

Nicolas

Download registration_form_34th_gclc_lunch_talk_23_may_2008.pdf