Fair competition benefits consumers and organizations alike.
Fair competition benefits consumers and organizations alike. Antitrust laws around the world are in the place to help ensure there is a fair, competitive market. There are certain activities that create a market that is not open to competition. You will learn what these activities are as well as how to identify them. Anticompetition behaviors prevent competition in an industry or geographic area. These can be done by individual organizations or organizations can work together to stifle competition. By watching this course, you will gain an understanding of the different anticompetition behaviors. You will learn about price fixing, bid rigging, group boycotts, market allocation, business cartels, and tying deals. This course will show you the difference between these behaviors and how they can have a negative impact on organizations and consumers. By the end of the course, you will be able to identify these behaviors when you see them and know why governments want to put an end to them.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the different anticompetition behaviors
Skills you’ll gain
Antitrust LawCommercial LawsCompetition LawCompetitive AnalysisFair CompetitionUnfair CompetitionWhat You'll Learn
- Understand the different anticompetition behaviors that prevent fair, competitive markets
- Identify activities that create a market not open to competition, whether by individual organizations or organizations working together
- Distinguish between price fixing, bid rigging, group boycotts, market allocation, business cartels, and tying deals
- Recognize how these behaviors negatively impact organizations and consumers
- Explain why governments want to put an end to anticompetition behaviors
Key Takeaways
- Fair competition benefits consumers and organizations alike, and antitrust laws around the world help ensure a fair, competitive market.
- Anticompetition behaviors prevent competition in an industry or geographic area and can be carried out by individual organizations or by organizations working together to stifle competition.
- Price fixing, bid rigging, group boycotts, market allocation, business cartels, and tying deals are distinct anticompetition behaviors covered in the course.
- These behaviors can have a negative impact on both organizations and consumers.
- Governments seek to put an end to these behaviors to keep markets open to competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What anticompetition behaviors does this course cover?
The course covers price fixing, bid rigging, group boycotts, market allocation, business cartels, and tying deals.
What will I be able to do after completing this course?
By the end of the course you will be able to identify these anticompetition behaviors when you see them and understand why governments want to put an end to them.
Why do antitrust laws exist?
Antitrust laws around the world are in place to help ensure there is a fair, competitive market, because fair competition benefits consumers and organizations alike.
Who carries out anticompetition behaviors?
These behaviors can be carried out by individual organizations, or organizations can work together to stifle competition.
What skills does this course help build?
The course relates to antitrust law, commercial laws, competition law, competitive analysis, fair competition, and unfair competition.
Transcript
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(lively music) There are several anti-competition behaviors that organizations may participate in. These are designed to prevent new competitors from joining the industry or to retain control over the industry. Let's go over them now. We will begin with price fixing. Price fixing involves two or more competitors working together to set the price for a product or service. This doesn't have to involve competitors agreeing to charge the exact same price. Price fixing can include agreements that establish price discounts, hold prices steady, eliminate or reduce discounts, adopt a standard formula for deciding on prices, maintain price differentials based on types, sizes or quantities of products, create a price schedule or minimum fee, create fixed credit terms, or don't advertise prices. Price fixing also does not always pertain to the price of the product. It may also involve shipping fees, warranties, or discount programs. Just because you see organizations raise and lower their prices in sync does not always mean price fixing is occurring. In some industries, the prices of products will be very similar from organization to organization. And depending on the market, the prices will change similarly. Think about farmers. All farmers charge similar prices because their produce is very similar. Here's another example. Gas stations may increase or decrease the price of gas at the same time. But this is not instantly price fixing as the price of gas is affected by the price of oil. Organizations may invite scrutiny if they discuss these topics with competitors, present or future prices, promotions, pricing policies, terms and conditions of sales, identity of customers, production quotas, or research and development plans.
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