How Verizon and AT&T Stack the Deck
Does Oligopoly sound familiar? Remind you of another game you used to play called Monopoly? You’ve got it. Oligopoly is its first cousin.
via Ripoff nation: How Verizon and AT&T stacked the deck against cellphone users – Salon.com.
Bloody Tired of Tampon Ads and an Oligopolistic Industry
A woman menstruates for at least 40 years of her life. That adds up to about 11,000 pads or tampons used and $2000-5000 spent, depending on the brand. Since women make up more than half the population, this sum represents an enormous market and, most importantly, one which is likely to be brand loyal. This market is divided between very few companies. When the maker of Tampax tampons was taken over by Proctor and Gamble in 1997, it had control of 55% of the tampon market, while Proctor and Gamble makers of Always and Whisper had 36%. Despite this, the U.S. Justice Department ruled that this was not an unfair advantage. The only other company that offers any competition is Kimberley Clark, the makers of Kotex and Playtex.
The great e-book price war
Closing arguments for the Department of Justice’s antitrust suit against Apple concluded last week, although U.S. District Judge Denise Cote is not expected to reach a decision for another couple of months. If you’ve found the case difficult to follow, you’re not alone. Still it’s worth getting a handle on the basics because the suit — or, more precisely, the business deals behind it — have changed book publishing in significant ways. Furthermore, Judge Cote’s decision could have impact well beyond the book industry.
Apple was charged with colluding with publishers to fix e-book prices. At the root of the dispute lie two different ways that publishers can sell books to retailers.
via Everything you need to know about the great e-book price war – Salon.com.
Sir Richard Branson talks about Virgin, Innovation, and Disruption
How to differentiate in an oligopoly market.
Its Time to Break Up AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner and the Rest of the Telecoms
Today’s telecoms provide overpriced and inferior service, and are systematically overcharging the hapless American consumer.
Alternet Article: Its Time to Break Up AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner and the Rest of the Telecoms.
Oligopoly 101
The US falling behind other countries in health care is not a problem, even though it blows a Grand Canyon-sized hole in our long-term budget, because the oligopolies control our health care, and make more money than God off of it as a result.
FCC to Probe Cell Phone Industry
An article about market consolidation: http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/28/headlines#9
Economics @ ITT 
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