Washington – As part of a broader series on the impact of mergers and acquisitions, the Federal Trade Commision (FTC) and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week hosted a public listening forum on merger control with a focus on the technology industry. After submitting comments to the FTC and DOJ’s recent request for information on merger enforcement, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) contributed to the May 12 forum in support of maintaining flexible, adaptable merger guidelines.
CCIA Vice President of Global Competition and Regulatory Policy Krisztian Katona provided remarks urging the Commission against creating a different set of guidelines or rules for specific sectors, pointing out that the current merger guidelines provide clear and practical guidance on when a transaction is likely to raise competition concerns.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for tech policy that advances competition and innovation for 50 years. The following can be attributed to CCIA Vice President of Global Competition and Regulatory Policy Krisztian Katona:
“The Guidelines’ strength is in their clarity, adaptability, and flexibility, and versatility. We caution against creating a different set of guidelines or rules for specific sectors, which would lead to disparate treatment of firms, considerable confusion for business and the courts, and negative follow-on effects in innovation, entrepreneurship, and venture investment.”