Description
Book SynopsisIn 1984, the Department of Justice settled its antitrust caseagainst AT&T. The agreement, embedded in the Modification ofFinal Judgment, led to a divestiture of the local telephoneexchanges from AT&T to the Regional Bell Operating Companies(known as the Baby Bells ). This agreement gave unprecedented powerover a major US industry to one man, Judge Harold Greene of the USDistrict Court of the District of Columbia. The Baby Bells couldnot enter any line of business without approval from Judge Greene.With technological change it became increasingly desirable for theBaby Bells to enter different lines of business, but each attemptwas subject to legal challenge and lengthy, costly litigation. In1994, the Baby Bells mounted a major legal challenge to theModification of Final Judgement (MFJ). As part of their strategy,they asked leading scholars in the field to examine the costs andbenefits of the MFJ and provide evidence in the form of affidavitsregarding its effect. Using a cost-benefit
Table of Contents
Partial table of contents:
THE BASIS FOR THE MFJ, 1984 AND 1994.
The MFJ: An Imperfect Solution (P. Temin).
The Competitive Effects of Line-of-Business Restrictions inTelecommunications (K. Arrow, et al.).
BENEFITS OF REMOVING THE MFJ LINE OF BUSINESS RESTRICTIONS.
Vertical Integration and Regulation in the Telephone Industry (A.Alchian).
The Benefits of Releasing the Bell Companies from the InterexchangeRestrictions (P. Brandon & R. Schmalensee).
Realignment in Telecommunications (M. Maloney & R.McCormick).
THE POTENTIAL COSTS OF REMOVING THE LINE-OF-BUSINESSRESTRICTIONS.
Deterring Predation in Telecommunications: Are Line-of-BusinessRestraints Needed?
(S. Gates, et al.).
Empirical Tests of RBOC Leveraging and Cross-Subsidization (R.Higgins & M. McDonald).
