Reflections on Section 5 of the FTC Act and the FTC’s Case against Intel
Antitrust Chronicle, Forthcoming
U of Michigan Law & Econ, Empirical Legal Studies Center Paper No. 10-001
26 Pages Posted: 22 Jan 2010
Date Written: January 19, 2010
Abstract
This paper explores the policy implications of the FTC's decision to file its enforcement action against Intel under Section 5 of the FTC Act and declare that it has the power to go further under Section 5's "unfair competition" prong than it could under Section 2 of the Sherman Act. It argues that Intel is an inappropriate case for the Commission to make a bid for Section 5 independence since none of the Commission's institutional advantages over Article III courts justifies a departure from ordinary Section 2 norms in this case. Indeed, the Intel case has the potential to set back the Commission's enforcement powers by prompting a reviewing court to chastise the Commission for overreaching and rejecting a broad view of Section 5.
Keywords: Intel, FTC Act, Sherman Act
JEL Classification: K21
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation