UNCLC Research Seminar Series - Dr Kathryn McMahon (external guest)

Art.102 TFEU (EU Competition Law's Regulation of Abuse of Dominance) in the Digital Economy: the Apple App store litigation (external guest)

Speaker: Dr Kathryn McMahon, Associate Professor, University of Warwick

Organiser/Chair: Dr Qianlan Wu

Digital platforms often perform intermediation roles and control an ‘ecosystem’ of interdependent products or services in multisided markets.  Market power can arise and be exploited through the control of narrow proprietary ‘walled gardens’ where there are direct and indirect network effects and high switching costs. These ecosystems may or may not be defined as separate markets under traditional competition law but can be subject to ‘intermediation power’.  The paper will explore some of these issues drawing on the current litigation in the EU and US concerning the fees and restrictive conditions imposed for in-app purchasing on smart phones and tablet devices on the Apple app store.