LabMD litigation against FTC lingers
Although the Federal Trade Commission won its effort to quash a lawsuit over its probe of LabMD, the now-defunct medical laboratory is still trying to sue three agency employees.
The pushback on convenience, resort and junk fees
Unexpected, surreptitious fees in retail transactions — additions like “convenience fees” and “resort fees” — have proliferated wildly over the past 30 years. When they aren’t clearly disclosed at the start of a transaction, their omission can deceive consumers and distort the purchase decision....
Current Issue: 834
San Jose takes aim at baseball’s antitrust exemption
As we head into the dog days of summer and the baseball pennant races heat up, the City of San Jose has decided to throw a fastball of its own that takes dead aim at Major League Baseball’s...
Commissioner Ohlhausen jumps in on Section 5
In a major speech, FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen joined fellow Republican Joshua Wright in calling for the agency to issue a policy statement clarifying the scope of its antitrust authority...
FTC to review “Internet of Things”
We’re rapidly heading into the next phase in the development of the Internet featuring stunning breakthroughs that enable more and more everyday devices to communicate with each other and with...
Day of reckoning ahead for pay-for-delay deals?
A political consensus seems to be emerging in the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee that negotiated settlements between the makers of brand-name drugs and generics to delay entry into the market are...
Senators, CFPB, FTC signal tougher action ahead on debt collection
The debt collection industry – which has already been in the crosshairs of regulators and legislators – will face additional rules based on comments of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and officials of...
Neil Averitt commentary: Hot cars, summer days and monopoly boards
Now the glorious days of summer have come, and sensible antitrust lawyers are heading for the beaches and the mountains, and taking the moment to ponder the deeper questions of life. Like, “Is that...