Price discrimination is an antitrust violation -- the statute is the Robinson-Patman Act -- that can expose the defendant to treble damages in a civil action, and even if you win you have to pay me, or someone like me, really godawful amounts of money to get you off. (This is in fact largely what I do for a living.) So, the citizen plaintiff is not without recourse! jks
--- michael <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Anon. 2003. “Is Price Discrimination The Next Big > Trend In Commerce?” > San Jose Mercury News (7 August). > “The Internet also gives sellers more information > about consumers than > ever before -- how many products they buy and when, > perhaps even how > many each can afford. Eventually, two people might > get the same pop-up > ad for the same Zippo lighter, but one ad pitches > them for $15 while > another says they're $10.” > “This vision of the Internet is the basis of a new > analysis from Andrew > Odlyzko, a former Bell Labs mathematician now at the > University of > Minnesota's Digital Technology Center. Odlyzko > expects price > discrimination to become more pervasive not only > because so much > personal data is being collected in online commerce > but also as > technology, in the name of protecting copyrights, > limits what people can > do with online content.” > “a few years ago, Coca-Cola Co. experimented with a > vending machine that > automatically raised prices in hot weather.” > “the economy could suffer if technology helps > suppliers engage in price > discrimination against producers of important goods > and services.” > http://www.dtc.umn.edu/7/8odlyzko/doc/privacy.economics.pdf > > > -- > > Michael Perelman > Economics Department > California State University > michael at ecst.csuchico.edu > Chico, CA 95929 > 530-898-5321 > fax 530-898-5901 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
