The antitrust immunity of intellectual property in Russia

The growing importance of intellectual property as an asset raises the question whether exercising of the intellectual property rights shall be regulated by antitrust law to protect against possible abuses and ensure the efficiency of the economy. The study aims to improve the existing regulation in the Russian Federation and align it with the idea of balancing private and public interests while fostering competition and encouraging innovation.

Features of Actions Qualification of Economic Entities Belonging to the Same Group of Entities under Article 11 of the Law on Competition Protection

The article deals with certain features of legal qualification of anti-competitive agreements concluded by participants of one group of entities. The author considers the possibility of applying antitrust immunity to anti-competitive agreements concluded between economic entities, including the problem of establishing control between the parties of the agreement on the example of specific antitrust cases.It is concluded that, despite the existence in law enforcement practice of cases of application of immunity to agreements restricting competition between economic entities belonging to the same group of persons, in the absence of a relationship of control between them, this immunity should be applied only if there are grounds provided for by law. The author’s position may not coincide with the official position of the FAS Russia.

Rethinking Major League Baseball’s Antitrust Exemption

For nearly a century, Major League Baseball (MLB) has enjoyed antitrust immunity. No other sports league or organization is similarly exempt. Shielded by precedent from antitrust prosecution, MLB clubs are free to exploit both monopolistic and monopsonistic power. In this paper, we call for a repeal of MLB’s antitrust exemption. In doing so, we examine some recent antitrust challenges to MLB conduct, the current interest of the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission in labor market issues, the welfare consequences of the exemption, and a policy recommendation for legislative action.