The Antitrust Week In Review

Here are some of the developments in antitrust news this past week that we found interesting and are following.

Apple ‘own worst enemy,’ U.S. antitrust monitor says in report. Apple’s antitrust compliance program has improved, but the company continues to throw up roadblocks to a court-appointed monitor overseeing the program, the monitor reported to a federal judge. Michael Bromwich, who was assigned to monitor Apple’s internal antitrust policies after U.S. District Judge Denise Cote found the company liable for conspiring to raise e-book prices, said Apple was acting as “its own worst enemy” by continuing to raise objections to his requests for information.

EU’s Vestager Not Planning to Rush Google, Gazprom Antitrust Cases. The European Union’s antitrust case against Gazprom will continue despite concessions from the Russian gas producer, meant to settle charges it abused its dominance in eastern and central Europe, according to the EU’s antitrust chief. European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager also reported that it would take time to conclude the EU’s five-year-old Google case, as she reviewed the internet search group’s reply to charges of favoring its services over rivals.

Supreme court won’t hear challenge to baseball antitrust immunity. The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to Major League Baseball’s long-standing exemption from U.S. antitrust laws brought by San Jose as part of the California’s city’s effort to become the new home of the Oakland Athletics. The court’s decision not to take the case means a January appellate ruling that said San Jose cannot seek a court order allowing the Athletics to move to the city remains intact.

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