Re:Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?
by gigatexal on Saturday October 21, 2023 @09:28AM
(#37966641)
Against Ticketmaster specifically.
Re:Ask HN: Why has no one replaced Ticketmaster?
by trogdor on Saturday October 21, 2023 @02:37PM
(#37969371)
>FTC definitely has some teeth now, but they can't wish monopolies out of existence
Monopolies are not illegal.
If a business obtains a monopoly by offering superior products or innovation, or through superior business acumen, the monopoly is legal. Antitrust issues arise when a monopoly is achieved or maintained by exclusionary or predatory acts.
Specifically about Ticketmaster or what has FTC done more broadly?
Proposed a rule against hidden fees (10 days ago). It's also supposed to give FTC enforcement mechanism so that it'd be more effective than state laws that were passed and basically ignored.
Also filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon (less than a month ago) for how they're treating third-party sellers. And if I remember correctly a lawsuit against Facebook is supposed to proceed in December, in which the FTC is asking the court to force Facebook to sell Instagram and WhatsApp (I wouldn't get my hopes up on this one).
FTC definitely has some teeth now, but they can't wish monopolies out of existence, they have to go through a years-long court process against an army of lawyers employed by tech companies with a budget that's orders of magnitude higher than FTC's.