Believe it or not, but on September 25, 2012, the Democrats and Republicans got sued in United States District Court for the Central District of California. They are accused under the antitrust laws of monopolizing the market for televised presidential debates in the United States by controlling the field of candidates in the race for president and vice president.
On September 25, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced that Biglari Holdings, Inc., which owns Steak ‘n Shake and Western Sizzlin restaurant chains, agreed to pay $850,000 in civil penalties to resolve allegations that it failed to make a premerger notification filing in connection with its acquisition of 8.7% of the outstanding voting securities of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/09/biglari.shtm
Continue reading " Failure To File HSR Notification Form Can Be Costly " »
On September 19, Joseph Wayland, head of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, spoke of the Division’s recent performance and future outlook at Georgetown Law’s 6th Annual Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium.
Continue reading " Department of Justice Touts Its Antitrust Practice " »
The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) scored an important victory on September 20, 2012 when AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) of Taiwan was fined $500,000,000 by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco for participation in a criminal price fixing conspiracy in the market for thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. Judge Illston also sentenced two high level executives of AUO to 3-year prison terms each and fined each of them $200,000 for their participation in the criminal conspiracy. See Press Release, U.S. Dep’t of Justice, Taiwan-Based AU Optronics Corporation Sentenced To Pay $500 Million Criminal Fine For Role In LCD Price-Fixing Conspiracy (Sept. 20, 2012) (http//www.justice.gov/atr/public/press_release/2012/287189.htm).
Continue reading " DOJ NETS HUGE FINES AND JAIL TERMS IN LCD PRICE FIXING CASE " »
On September 20, 2012, Canada’s Competition Bureau published the final version of its Enforcement Guidelines on the abuse of dominance provisions (sections 78 and 79) of the Competition Act. The Competition Bureau’s release of the Enforcement Guidelines replaces all of the Bureau’s previous publications on the abuse of dominance provisions.
Continue reading " Canada Publishes New Competition Enforcement Guidelines " »
At Georgetown Law’s 6th Annual Global Antitrust Enforcement Symposium on September 19, 2012, FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz raised critical concerns about the recent anti-competitive practices of firms regarding the use of technology and IP patents.
Continue reading " FTC Calls Recent Patent Disputes “Anticompetitive" " »
On September 4, 2012, the Antitrust Division announced that 3M Co. abandoned its plan to acquire Avery Dennison Corp.’s Office and Consumer Products Group after the Division informed 3M that it would sue to block the transaction.
Continue reading " Antitrust Divisions Threatens To Block Sticky Notes Merger " »
