Patent Baristas » Intellectual Property & Antitrust Issues: Market Power

So how does one bridge the gap between antitrust laws and patent laws? Is one to understand that patent laws are inherently monopolistic in nature? In which case, the Congressional intent in enacting the Sherman, Clayton and FTC Acts is questionable. Is it that patent laws are divest from the purview of antitrust laws or can they be viewed as two sides of the same coin- aiding and abetting one another in enhancing consumer welfare and promoting innovation? “[T]he aims and objectives of patent and antitrust laws may seem, at first glance, wholly at odds. However, the two bodies of law are actually complementary, as both are aimed at encouraging innovation, industry and competition.” Atari Games Corp. v. Nintendo of America, Inc., 897 F.2d 1572, 1576. One may seek recourse to case laws, old and new, in addition to the various FTC reports in order to make sense of this conundrum.

iOS devs pay $50,000 for collecting children's info in apps

The parent company of Broken Thumbs Apps—a prominent iOS app maker responsible for games like Zombie Duck Hunt, Truth or Dare, and Emily's Dress Up—has today settled with the Federal Trade Commission over its apparent collection of children's personal data in its iPhone and iPod touch apps. Though the FTC has gone after other companies for similar violations, this case is the first focused on mobile apps.

#Android Part of #FTC 's #Google Investigation: Report

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly looking into whether or not Google's forces Android OEMs to use its own search and location services.

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly expanding its investigation into Google's search business to include the company's Android mobile operating system and Web services.

Google Says It Hires FTC Intellectual Property Expert Michel - Bloomberg

Google Says It Hires FTC Intellectual Property Expert Michel - Bloomberg:

Google Inc., under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for its dominance of Internet searches, said it hired Suzanne Michel, one of the commission’s top intellectual property officials.

Michel, 49, is leaving her post as deputy director of policy planning at the FTC, where she worked for more than 11 years on patent antitrust issues and patent policy. She will join the company’s legal team, Aaron Zamost, a Google spokesman, said, declining to elaborate on what her responsibilities will be.