The Justice Department’s antitrust division is preparing to tackle competition issues in several important markets, including alleged price-fixing in the generic-drug industry, rules for music licensing and purported employer collusion that limits options for sought-after workers.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal this week, Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, the Justice Department’s top antitrust official, said the department would act on those issues in the next several months. He said it was too soon to predict the outcome of his division’s highest-profile endeavor: an investigation of whether dominant tech firms are stifling competition.
“We’re well into the fairway of gathering data and evidence” on the tech probe, Mr. Delrahim said.
The department’s investigation of Alphabet’s Google includes a collaboration with state attorneys general, and the Justice Department is staying in touch with the Federal Trade Commission as both agencies probe Facebook Inc., he said. Separately, the department is considering whether Google should be allowed to acquire Fitbit Inc., the wearable fitness-product company.
Mr. Delrahim also said he was closely tracking how the National Collegiate Athletic Association was handling the issue of payment for college athletes, expressing concerns with the group’s restrictions on benefits and compensation.
As Mr. Delrahim bounced between meetings, a sprawling stack of papers dominated his conference room table, signaling what looks like a busy year of enforcement developments.
Full Content: Wall Street Journal
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
DOJ and FTC Introduce Website for Reporting Anti-Competitive Healthcare Practices
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
US Congress Advances Legislation to Compel TikTok Sale
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
UK Financial Sector Advocates Enhanced Regulatory Accountability
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Google and All 50 States Defend $700 Million Consumer Settlement
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Colorado Enacts First Law to Protect Consumer Brainwave Data
Apr 18, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI