The Simple Economic Principles Underpinning Antitrust Market Definition: The Blind Leading the Blind? - Magali Eben

The Centre for Business Law and Practice is delighted to invite you to the latest work in progress seminar, delivered by Magali Eben (University of Leeds).

Abstract

The definition of markets is an important step in competition law investigations and has been ingrained in competition law enforcement in the US and EU since the 60s/70s. It was developed by economists and lawyers in the 40s, based on some of the core concepts of demand, supply and competition going as far back as the 18th Century. Recently, antitrust market definition has come under attack for being arbitrary – but also for being convoluted and difficult to reconcile with the fast-pace development of modern ‘technology-driven’ industries. When you go ‘back to basics’, however, it becomes evident that many of the problems encountered in these industries are less onerous than they first appear. The principles underpinning antitrust market definition are relatively simple and flexible, lending themselves to application in any industry, no matter how dynamic. These principles find their origin in traditional economic theory (or ‘philosophy’) and are plain and elegant. So plain and elegant that you may start to question whether they have any basis in reality. In this seminar I will review the principles underpinning market definition, discuss how they help us overcome the obstacles in online services industries, and question whether we ought to be worried about the simplicity of these conclusions.

About the speaker

Magali Eben is a PhD candidate and module assistant at the University of Leeds. Her research focuses on competition law/antitrust, in particular market definition for online services. She has lectured on a variety of topics relating to competition law and EU law. Her broader research interests are antitrust, abuse of dominance, technology and innovation, data protection, EU citizenship, and the Single Market. She is in the last stages of her PhD project and welcomes any feedback on her research

Please register here for Magali's talk.

Location details

Seminar Room 1.14
School of Law
Liberty Building
University of Leeds
LS2 9JT

For sat navs, please use the postcode for Moorland Road, LS6 1AN. 

The Liberty Building can also be found on the campus map

All welcome. This is a free event, though registration is required.

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