The Antitrust Week In Review

Google says an EU antitrust fine would be ‘inappropriate.’  Google is hitting back at European Union antitrust regulators’ threats of a hefty fine, saying this would be inappropriate because of the unusual nature of the case and its willingness to settle the case with concessions last year.  In its reply to the European Commission’s charge sheet, the world’s most popular search engine also criticized regulators for not taking into account the fact that it was offering a free search service.  The company’s robust defense came after the Commission capped a five-year investigation with accusations that Google distorted search results to favor its shopping service, harming both rivals and users.

Ex-Player’s Suit Challenges N.C.A.A.’s Transfer Rules.  A former college football player has filed suit against the N.C.A.A., charging that the association’s transfer rules and limits on scholarships violate United States antitrust laws. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Indianapolis on Thursday on behalf of the former Weber State cornerback Devin Pugh, seeks to allow players to transfer freely between colleges and to abolish the cap on football scholarships — currently 85.  N.C.A.A. rules require basketball and football players in its top tier of competition to sit out a season if they change universities, unless they are granted a waiver by the N.C.A.A.

EU antitrust regulators charge 10 Asian capacitor makers over cartel.  EU antitrust regulators are charging that 10 Asian makers of electrolytic capacitors illegally fixed prices through a cartel over a 17-year period.  The European Commission said the cartel operated from 1997 to 2014, with the companies holding a series of multilateral meetings in Japan to discuss future market trends, prices and customer data.  Electrolytic capacitors control the flow of electricity in a variety of products including smartphones, TVs, games consoles and cameras.

EU regulators want to boost national antitrust powers, seek feedback.  EU antitrust regulators are seeking public feedback over how to strengthen national competition authorities in the 28-country bloc, some of whom are currently limited in their access to cloud-based information or in the amount of penalties they can impose.  European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that while some agencies enjoyed the same powers as the European Commission, some lacked essential tools to deter anticompetitive practices.