Re: Japan Microsoft Investigation

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

  I think the US reporting of the Japan antitrust efforts isn't entirely
  balanced.  For example, on issues relating to parallel imports, the
  Japan recently threatened *criminal* sanctions against firms which took
  steps to discourage low cost parallel imports into the Japan.  The US,
  on the other hand, is lobbying hard to prevent South Africa and other
  countries from *permitting* parallel imports.  
  
  I don't want to give a ringing endorsement for the Japan FTC, but just
  to note that US reporting is itself often jingoistic.
  
  It seems as though the Japan FTC effort is pretty much part of the DOJ's
  fairly narrowly targeted investigation of OEM licensing deals, rather
  than something directed at more fundamental problems.  So I'm not sure
  how important it is.  Jamie
  
  
  dmogin@ix.netcom.com wrote:
  > 
  > I don't mean to offend anyone and at the risk of being labeled un - PC,
  > given the market practices of many large Japanese companies, isn't  the
  > term "Japanese Antitrust investigation" an oxymoron  ?
  > 
  > Does Japan have a track record in antitrust ??  Are the subjects of the
  > investigation predominantly foreign companies or Japanese companies??
  > 
  > dan mogin