Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report Index-Summary

ICN

See INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION NETWORK (ICN)

IDENTITY THEFT

– Bank examiners, interagency guidance expected, 94:599
– Business best practices, FTC workshop set, 95:338
– Consumer safety, FTC Web site upgraded, In Brief, 95:364
– FTC reports, consumer complaints, identity theft tops list, 94:160
– Personal data security

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 495

– Phishing

See PHISHING

– Red flag rules

– – Compliance to be clarified by FTC, 95:37
– – Enforcement delayed by FTC, 95:380

– Task force, national strategy

– – Credit freezes, views on effectiveness sought, 94:47
– – Progress report issued, 95:375

ILLINOIS

– Health care

– – Certificates of need laws, FTC and DOJ call plan anticompetitive, 95:268
– – Evanston Northwestern/Highland Park Hospital merger, class challenge not time-barred (N.D. Ill.), 94:619
– – Retail clinics may injure competition, FTC warns Ill. lawmakers, 94:577

– Motor vehicles, Volvo buyer failed to show breach of warranty damages (U.S., rev den), 94:6
– Real estate, conspiracy claim against rival realtor may proceed (N.D. Ill.), 94:620
– Restaurants, Quizno's franchisees cannot overcome contract terms (N.D. Ill.), 94:397

IMMUNITY

See also ANTITRUST EXEMPTIONS
– Air cargo rates, price fixing, Qantas employees not party to plea agreement may be identified (D.D.C.), 94:99

INDIA

– Competition commission moving toward 2002 law enforcement, 94:227
– Draft competition rules, ABA sections comment, In Brief, 94:539

INDIANA

– Air travel, Signature Flight Support/Hawker Beechcraft, divestiture at Indianapolis airport required (D.D.C.), 95:6
– Contracts, civil investigative demand, enforcement criteria set (Ind.), 94:577
– Credit card and gas station franchise sales, Marathon Petroleum lacks tying claim (7th Cir.), 94:650
– Health care, noncompetition pacts between doctor and medical group valid (Ind.), 94:326
– Winery visit with proof of residency required for direct shipments (7th Cir.), 95:165

INJUNCTIONS

– Dairy products, ads touting weight loss benefits may not be enjoined in private suit (4th Cir.), 95:12
– Pharmacies did not show antitrust injury for damages or injunctive relief (E.D.N.Y.), 94:9

INSURANCE INDUSTRY

– Bid rigging for contracts, state may pursue parens patriae damages claim (Conn.), 94:393
– Boycott claim against insurer by auto glass repair shop lacks relevant market (10th Cir.), 95:59
– Canada, car insurance, British Columbia agency not anticompetitive, 95:218
– Credit-based insurance scores

– – Bias against minorities

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, HR 5633, HR 6062

– – Homeowner insurance, FTC requires data, 94:520

– European Union (EU)

– – Austrian insurer/buyer of Bank Burgenland must return state aid, 94:451
– – Block exemption, comments sought, 94:428
– – Hungary, export credit guarantees barred, 94:428

– Fax ads, defense duty, jurisdiction over TCPA declaratory suit declined (S.D. Ohio), 94:21
– Health care, monopsony, oncology providers may proceed with claim against large market share insurer (W.D.N.C.), 95:313
– Italy, Generali/Toro, antitrust agency appeals reversal of order to divest subsidiary, 94:30
– Mortgage insurer, willfulness of FCRA violation (U.S., judg vac), 94:596
– Nonrenewal of policies, state commissioner's regulation constitutes unlawful extension of law (Del. Super. Ct.), 94:18
– Price fixing, La. attorney general suit properly removed to federal court (5th Cir.), 95:122

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

– Copyrights

– – EU proposes models for greater consumer access to online music, films and games, 94:28
– – Training services, child care providers, contract ambiguity warrants remand (2d Cir.), 95:376

– Judicial candidates and other issues discussed at ABA meeting, 94:387
– Patents

See PATENTS

– Sports, former NFL headgear licensee fails to state monopolization claim (7th Cir.), 95:205
– Trade secrets of software program, government contractor failed to state claim (M.D. Ga.), 95:163

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION NETWORK (ICN)

– Cooperation in antitrust enforcement lauded, Special Report, 94:399
– Dominance, counter measures suggested, 94:400
– Merger efficiency analysis discussed, 94:400
– Superior buying power abuses, need for consensus, 94:401

INTERNET

– Ed. Note: For electronic sales of goods and services, see ELECTRONIC COMMERCE. E-mail fraud is covered under SPAM. For a list of electronic resources and Web sites, see Electronic Resources section of each issue.
– Advertising, online

– – Banking, payday lenders, charges settled (FTC), 94:214
– – FTC proposes principles to encourage industry self-regulation, 94:16; comment period extended, In Brief, 94:183; Senate panel holds hearing on proposal, 95:37
– – Google/DoubleClick, privacy of protocol addresses addressed by EU official, 94:85; EU authorizes acquisition, 94:278
– – Google/Yahoo agreement, investigation delays deal, 95:337
– – MySpace users subjected to phishing and other scams, advertiser charged with violating 2006 bar (D.N.H.), 94:109
– – Payday loans, annual percentage rate data, disclosure ordered (FTC), 94:648
– – ValueClick settles FTC deceptive advertising charges (C.D. Cal.), 94:294
– – Yahoo!/Google, DOJ probes deal, In Brief, 94:471; Senate panel hearing held, 95:60; EU launches probe, 95:272

– Broadband service availability

See LEGISLATION, FEDERAL, S 1492

– Canada

– – Access, request to review forbearance criteria denied, 94:480
– – Fraud, phony domain name invoices temporarily barred (N.D. Ill.), 94:625
– – Public hearings, broadcast media distribution regulations, In Brief, 95:392
– – Throttling by Bell Canada alleged, interim relief denied, 94:502

– Children

– – Online fraud and abuse, groups report failure of states to protect consumers, 95:194
– – Social networking site imbee.com settles COPPA violation charges (N.D. Cal.), 94:98

– Consumer protection, Los Angeles suit over Time Warner acquisitions remanded, diversity jurisdiction lacking (C.D. Cal.), 95:318
– Consumer safety, FTC Web site upgraded, In Brief, 95:364
– Electronic discovery accounts for higher litigation costs, survey finds, 95:261
– Employment site, Monster.com data breach, FTC closes probe, 94:212
– European Union (EU), state aid for MaXSSIMM program approved, 94:533
– France, high-speed fiber optics, probe will not include temporary measures, 94:196
– FTC needs stronger enforcement tools, former commissioner says, 95:363
– Italy says Telecom Italia/Tiscali deal may create anticompetition, 94:378
– Merger, data brokers Reed Elsevier/ChoicePoint, divestitures required (FTC), 95:261
– Monopolization, wholesale price squeeze claim, Solicitor Gen. view sought, 94:75; (U.S., rev grant), 94:645
– Phishing

See PHISHING

– Price fixing, WatchGuard Tech., claim dismissed (W.D. Wash.), 94:212
– Real estate, Internet brokers must be provided access to multiple listing services (N.D. Ill.), 94:553
– Schools, E-Rate program bid rigging and fraud, consultant sentenced (N.D. Cal.), 94:295
– Sports, Web site ban by Natl. Hockey League allowed (2d Cir.), In Brief, 94:471; team complaint survives dismissal (S.D.N.Y.), 95:373

INTERVENTION

– Credit cards, non-merchant may not intervene in suit against Visa and MasterCard (E.D.N.Y.), In Brief, 95:115

IRELAND

– Air travel, Italy fined Ryanair for misleading costs, In Brief, 95:149
– Beverages, Heineken/Scottish & Newcastle deal to be reviewed, 94:359
– Competition law clarifications and harmonization efforts praised by ABA sections, 94:633

ISRAEL

– Oligopoly, ABA groups urge rejection of regulatory orders, 95:273

ITALY

– Advertising policies of utilities probed, 94:564
– Air travel

– – Alitalia bailout, EU state aid violations charged, 95:345
– – False advertising, Ryanair fined, In Brief, 95:149
– – Meridiana fined for anticompetitive conduct, 95:300
– – Sale of Alitalia, agency favors Air France-KLM over AirOne, 94:63; divestitures may be required, 94:359; Rome-Milan rail link adequate competition for air links, 95:52
– – State aid to Alitalia probed, 94:607
– – Task force established to monitor industry, 94:256

– Apparel, Italy asks EU to probe Chinese trade policies in shoe sector, 95:298
– Banking

– – Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo warned of noncompliance with merger conditions, 94:330
– – Fees, probe opened, 94:282; four dominant banks probed, 95:101
– – Monte dei Paschi di Siena/Banca Antonveneta deal, branches must be sold, In Brief, 95:323
– – Mortgages

See Mortgages, this heading

– – Tuscany and Verona bank mergers to be probed, 94:195; deal approved, 94:506

– Beverages, Parmalat divests Newlat unit, In Brief, 94:430; delays fined, In Brief, 94:608
– Cartels, antitrust authority calls for more enforcement power, 94:654
– Cellular telephones

– – False advertising, two providers charged, In Brief, 95:220
– – Free switch to rival firms required, In Brief, 95:250
– – iPhones may be sold by Telecom Italia, 94:480

– Consumer protection, new authority created, 94:170
– Cosmetics, alleged pricing collusion probed, In Brief, 94:659
– Defense industry, DRS Tech./Finmeccanica, takeover cleared, In Brief, 95:250
– Electronics, aid package for digital display devices plant approved, 94:404
– Food

– – Bread makers fined for cartel conduct, 95:22
– – Cheese makers request suspension of anti-collusion laws to increase prices, 95:390

– Insurance, Generali/Toro, antitrust agency appeals reversal of order to divest subsidiary, 94:30
– Internet, Telecom Italia/Tiscali deal may create anticompetition, 94:378
– Job promotion, EU seeks return of state aid, 94:171
– Media

– – Advertising, dominance complaint filed against Prime Minister, 95:417
– – Microsoft share acquisition of Greenfield Online, competition commission investigates, In Brief, 95:348

– Mergers, hostile takeover rule changes ease blocking restrictions, 95:420
– Mining firm, EU refers state aid issue to court, 94:169
– Mortgages

– – Competition abuses among banks found, 95:172
– – Plan to allow homeowners to switch lenders cleared, 94:582

– Oil and gas

– – Gruppo Ascopiave, acquisition of gas distributors probed, 94:405
– – Natural gas distributors, agency head favors alliances, 94:118
– – Pricing, distribution networks probed, In Brief, 94:539

– Poste Italiane

– – Proposed policy changes accepted, 94:259
– – State aid approved by EU, 94:452

– Press equipment maker, use of state aid probed, In Brief, 94:408
– Restaurants

– – Autogrill plan to acquire airport retailers probed, 94:281
– – Highway concessions, antitrust authority seeks new rules, 95:50

– State aid, failure to recover referred to EU court, In Brief, 94:284
– Tax programs for retail, distribution and banking cooperatives probed by EU, 94:631
– Telecommunications

– – Apple iPhone, limited distribution probed, 95:100
– – Broadband expansion, state aid approved, In Brief, 95:52
– – Cell phones

See Cellular telephones, this heading

– – Satellite service bundling barred, 94:146

– Televised soccer games, broadcasting rights probed, 94:303; pooling of revenues by leagues probed, 94:478
– Text book publishers take steps to address antitrust concerns, 94:228
– Utilities, dominance abuse of electricity sector probed, 95:366
– Waste management, bid rigging halted, In Brief, 95:251