Right. What about airline tickets? There are ways around such laws. On Fri, Aug 08, 2003 at 02:58:50PM -0700, andie nachgeborenen wrote: > 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
-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
