Dynamic Competition And Public Policy

Scholars explore antitrust issues as these relate to dynamic industry competition and public policy.

A proposal for moving from price-centric to innovation-centric competition policy, reviewing theory and evidence on economic incentives for innovation. Competition policy and antitrust enforcement have traditionally focused on prices rather than innovation. Economic theory shows the ways that price competition benefits consumers, and courts, antitrust agencies, and economists have developed tools for the quantitative evaluation of price impacts. Antitrust law does not preclude interventions to encourage innovation, but over time the interpretation of the laws has raised obstacles to enforcement policies for innovation. In this book, economist Richard Gilbert proposes a shift from price-centric to innovation-centric competition policy. Antitrust enforcement should be concerned with protecting incentives for innovation and preserving opportunities for dynamic, rather than static, competition. In a high-technology economy, Gilbert argues, innovation matters. Gilbert considers both theory and available empirical evidence on the relationships among market structure, firm behavior, and the production of new products and services. He reviews the distinctive features of the high-tech economy and why current analytical tools used by antitrust enforcers aren't up to the task of assessing innovation concerns. He considers, from the perspective of innovation competition, Kenneth Arrow's “replacement effect” and the Schumpeterian theory of market power and appropriation; discusses the effect of mergers on innovation and future price competition; and reviews the empirical literature on competition, mergers, and innovation. He describes examples of merger enforcement by US and European antitrust agencies; examines cases brought against Microsoft and Google; and discusses the risks and benefits of interoperability standards. Finally, he offers recommendations for competition policy. The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from Arcadia – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.

From the Foreword: Despite the longevity and importance of competition policy, there has been no comprehensive study of its objectives. Hence this work by Gorecki and Stanbury fills a gap in our understanding of how the objectives of a public policy are adapted to changes in the economy, shifts in political priorities, new developments in theory, and refinements in judicial decision making.

This cohesive collection brings together David J. Teece's most important work on the nexus of innovation and competition policy. He was one of the first to flag the importance of innovation issues to competition policy 25 years ago. He has also pioneered the application of economic and organizational principles to issues in the management of innovation. Throughout these essays, Professor Teece shows how technological advances, the advent of the Internet and other recent shifts in the global business landscape have placed businesses in a radically altered situation from even just a few decades ago. He clearly elucidates the need for both businesses and policymakers to adapt to this rapidly evolving landscape by embracing and fostering next-generation competition policies. Topics discussed include antitrust policy, technology strategies, competition policy, market power and intellectual property issues. Students and professors of business and management, innovation studies, intellectual property and competition lawyers will find this volume a critical asset to their work. Policymakers and regulators will also benefit immensely from this lucid and comprehensive collection.

The book has three main objectives. Firstly, to provide an up-dated analysis of the most important theoretical developments, secondly, to present significant empirical verifications and thirdly, to assess the micro-macro debate and the relations which link the market structure to the function of the economic system.

A dynamic and competitive environment, underpinned by competition law policy, is an essential characteristic of successful market economies. To satisfy the growing demand for information on current approaches and practices in competition law policy, the project "Framework for the Design and Implementation of Competition Law-Policy" was initiated by the World Bank, with participation by OECD. This ensuing volume reflects the main issues that arise in design and implementation of competition law and policy in order to assist countries in developing an approach that suits their own needs and conditions. The views articulated in this publication suggest that the administration and enforcement of competition law policy should assign the greatest importance to fostering economic efficiency and consumer welfare.