HJC report raises concerns about FTC commitment to consumers
Drawing on the words of experienced Federal Trade Commission staff, the House Judiciary Committee’s (HJC) interim staff report, “Abuse of Power, Waste of Resources, and Fear,” details multiple hurdles to the agency’s success in recent years: Political priorities are distracting from the FTC’s historical focus on consumers. 1. Staff worry that legally dubious cases take […]
Read More
Springboard Series: Competition is booming up and down the AI stack—the competitive landscape
The generative AI revolution is raising new questions about competition, market concentration, and American innovation. This flurry of change can seem complicated, but in fact emerging AI innovations are contributing to a wildly competitive ecosystem up and down the AI “stack.” First, a brief primer on the state of competition in the tech space: Investment […]
Read More
Policymakers should be wary of importing harmful competition frameworks
As Europe adopts and implements radical new competition frameworks, it’s crucial that American policymakers understand the harms of such drastic proposals, and what they might mean for consumers and small businesses alike. 1. An objective, economics-based standard has served America well 2. Untested competition theories pose risks for innovation, the startup ecosystem, small businesses, and […]
Read More
ICYMI: Competition in the AI space is fierce
As regulators continue discussing artificial intelligence and the competitive dynamics in the AI space, one thing is clear: competition is thriving up and down the AI stack. This point shone through during a workshop hosted last week by the FTC, even though the panel lacked balance and entirely omitted industry voices. Here are the facts: […]
Read More
ICYMI: Experts criticize the politicized intention of the European Commission’s intent to block the Amazon-iRobot deal, which jeopardized iRobot’s viability
On January 29, Amazon and iRobot announced an agreement to terminate Amazon’s acquisition following a report by the Wall Street Journal that the EU Commission (EC) intended to block the deal. As a result, Massachusetts-based iRobot announced it planned to fire 31% of its employees, reduce its investment in R&D, and cancel innovation in new […]
Read More
ICYMI: E-commerce tools are helping small retailers grow, innovate, and thrive
As we enter 2024, the retail industry is a vast and diverse space, stocked with businesses both large and small. The prominence of small retail businesses is especially notable: contrary to claims made by some inside the Beltway, research shows that, in recent years, digital tools and marketplaces have helped Americans shop small. It’s a […]
Read More
The competitive power of AI: transforming businesses, revolutionizing cloud computing, and redefining search dynamics
As competition heats up in online search, consumer marketplaces, and cloud computing, AI continues to upend markets, with new features being launched seemingly every day. Read our roundup of the AI competition ‘news of the day.’ Advances in AI are transforming traditional online search, enhancing competition across even the most recognizable search engines – “iAsk […]
Read More
The FTC’s case against Amazon fails crucial antitrust tests
Last Friday, Amazon requested that the court dismiss the FTC’s lawsuit, reiterating what others have been saying for months: the FTC’s case is incompatible with antitrust law and pays no attention to consumers’ best interests. It fails to provide a coherent theory of harm, any evidence of anticompetitive conducts, or a proposal for a better […]
Read More
Experts call out the FTC’s argument against Seller-Fulfilled Prime for what it is: “misleading” and “inaccurate”
In 2015, Amazon launched Seller Fulfilled Prime (“SFP”) to allow sellers on Amazon’s marketplace to offer Prime-badged goods to customers. Since then, Amazon has worked hard to lift the program’s performance to meet the bar that customers expect for Prime and has redesigned SFP’s requirements multiple times. Unfortunately, the program has consistently underperformed and delivered […]
Read More
What They Are Saying: By dropping WTO digital trade rule demands, the U.S. retreats on technology, the economy, and governance
Earlier this month, international trade took center stage as the U.S. and its Pacific neighbors met for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meetings. But just weeks before these critical meetings, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) withdrew its proposals for key trade rules at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in […]
Read More
HJC report raises concerns about FTC commitment to consumers
Drawing on the words of experienced Federal Trade Commission staff, the House Judiciary Committee’s (HJC) interim staff report, “Abuse of Power, Waste of Resources, and Fear,” details multiple hurdles to the agency’s success in recent years: Political priorities are distracting from the FTC’s historical focus on consumers. 1. Staff worry that legally dubious cases take […]
Read More
Springboard Series: Competition is booming up and down the AI stack—the competitive landscape
The generative AI revolution is raising new questions about competition, market concentration, and American innovation. This flurry of change can seem complicated, but in fact emerging AI innovations are contributing to a wildly competitive ecosystem up and down the AI “stack.” First, a brief primer on the state of competition in the tech space: Investment […]
Read More
Policymakers should be wary of importing harmful competition frameworks
As Europe adopts and implements radical new competition frameworks, it’s crucial that American policymakers understand the harms of such drastic proposals, and what they might mean for consumers and small businesses alike. 1. An objective, economics-based standard has served America well 2. Untested competition theories pose risks for innovation, the startup ecosystem, small businesses, and […]
Read More
ICYMI: Competition in the AI space is fierce
As regulators continue discussing artificial intelligence and the competitive dynamics in the AI space, one thing is clear: competition is thriving up and down the AI stack. This point shone through during a workshop hosted last week by the FTC, even though the panel lacked balance and entirely omitted industry voices. Here are the facts: […]
Read More
ICYMI: Experts criticize the politicized intention of the European Commission’s intent to block the Amazon-iRobot deal, which jeopardized iRobot’s viability
On January 29, Amazon and iRobot announced an agreement to terminate Amazon’s acquisition following a report by the Wall Street Journal that the EU Commission (EC) intended to block the deal. As a result, Massachusetts-based iRobot announced it planned to fire 31% of its employees, reduce its investment in R&D, and cancel innovation in new […]
Read More
ICYMI: E-commerce tools are helping small retailers grow, innovate, and thrive
As we enter 2024, the retail industry is a vast and diverse space, stocked with businesses both large and small. The prominence of small retail businesses is especially notable: contrary to claims made by some inside the Beltway, research shows that, in recent years, digital tools and marketplaces have helped Americans shop small. It’s a […]
Read More
The competitive power of AI: transforming businesses, revolutionizing cloud computing, and redefining search dynamics
As competition heats up in online search, consumer marketplaces, and cloud computing, AI continues to upend markets, with new features being launched seemingly every day. Read our roundup of the AI competition ‘news of the day.’ Advances in AI are transforming traditional online search, enhancing competition across even the most recognizable search engines – “iAsk […]
Read More
The FTC’s case against Amazon fails crucial antitrust tests
Last Friday, Amazon requested that the court dismiss the FTC’s lawsuit, reiterating what others have been saying for months: the FTC’s case is incompatible with antitrust law and pays no attention to consumers’ best interests. It fails to provide a coherent theory of harm, any evidence of anticompetitive conducts, or a proposal for a better […]
Read More
Experts call out the FTC’s argument against Seller-Fulfilled Prime for what it is: “misleading” and “inaccurate”
In 2015, Amazon launched Seller Fulfilled Prime (“SFP”) to allow sellers on Amazon’s marketplace to offer Prime-badged goods to customers. Since then, Amazon has worked hard to lift the program’s performance to meet the bar that customers expect for Prime and has redesigned SFP’s requirements multiple times. Unfortunately, the program has consistently underperformed and delivered […]
Read More
What They Are Saying: By dropping WTO digital trade rule demands, the U.S. retreats on technology, the economy, and governance
Earlier this month, international trade took center stage as the U.S. and its Pacific neighbors met for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meetings. But just weeks before these critical meetings, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) withdrew its proposals for key trade rules at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in […]
Read More