In 2012, when the Justice Department sued Apple and five book publishers for price fixing, many observers sided with the defendants. It was a reminder that, in practice, Americans are ambivalent about competition. Sagers shows why protecting price competition, even when it hurts, is crucial if antitrust law is to preserve markets.
Though the arguments are strong and highly instructive, the author seems to downplay the damage that a large monopoly monopsony such as Amazon could eventually inflict on publishing and the scope of writing itself ... More of an armchair than a beach read, this authoritative work contains a wealth of information in a readable format. Highly recommended for serious readers interested in hot topics on the economics of publishing.
[Sagers'] analysis can be helpful—he notes the long history of companies invoking claims of 'predatory pricing' as a cudgel against more efficient competitors and stresses that consumers often benefit when industries and companies are driven out of business—but he is confused about the case itself ... Mr. Sagers forgets the guardrail rule of antitrust: Don’t bring cases against innovations that create more competition.
... persuasively argued ... Through an array of concisely rendered, instructive examples from law and history, Sagers explores the public backlash to the Apple case as a 'microcosm' of the broader political and societal dilemmas that have effectively hamstrung modern antitrust enforcement ... Readers following the recent calls for antitrust action against the tech industry will find this account instructive and timely.
