Web Links

• p. 667: Go to http://www.ftc.gov/ to see how the Federal Trade Commission imposes regulations intended to protect consumers.
• p. 673: Antitrust.org is no longer operating. For updates on various antitrust cases currently in progress, go to http://www.alston.com/, the Web site operated by Alston and Bird, a major U.S. law firm. Click on Search, then check "Industries" and search on "antitrust".

Issues and Applications Web Resources:

• Explore information concerning recent U.S. Justice Department antitrust actions at http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/.
• Learn more about the privately filed legal actions against fashion-modeling agencies via the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York Web site at http://www.modelingscams.org/class.html.

Guidelines for U.S. Antitrust Merger Enforcement
How does the U.S. government apply anitrust laws to mergers? This application gives you the opportunity to learn about the standards applied by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice when it evaluates a proposed merger.

     Title: U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Merger Enforcement Guidelines

     Navigation: Use http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/premerger.htm to access the home page of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Click on Public Documents and then on Merger Enforcement.

Application
Answer the following questions.

1. Click on Horizontal Merger Guidelines. In section 1, click on Overview, and read this section. What factors do U.S. antitrust authorities consider when evaluating the potential for a horizontal merger to "enhance market power"–that is, to place the combination in a monopoly situation?

2. Back up to the page titled Merger Enforcement Guidelines, and click on Non-Horizontal Merger Guidelines. Read the guidelines. In what situations will the antitrust authorities most likely question a nonhorizontal merger?