BU Now » Michael Salinger

Apple draws antitrust suspicions

Dick Taffe — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:39:26 +0000

Federal antitrust enforcers are considering a probe into Apple Inc. after changes in the company’s licensing agreement with iPhone application developers that forbids the use of software tools other than Apple’s to build programs or the transmission of analytical data to third parties like advertisers. It’s yet to be decided if the inquiry would be conducted by the Federal Trade Commission or the Department of Justice. School of Management Professor Michael Salinger, a former FTC director, says there was a time when the DoJ might have gone easier on Apple than the FTC.

“During the Bush years, Apple would surely have preferred that DoJ get the case. I question whether that is still true.”

Contact Michael Salinger, 617-353-4408, salinger@bu.edu

Intel settles antitrust case with AMD

Dick Taffe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:13:56 +0000

Intel, the world’s largest maker of computer processors, will pay $1.25 billion to its biggest competitor, Advanced Micro Devices, to settle all antitrust and patent suits. School of Management Professor Michael Salinger, a former director of the Federal Trade Commission (which also is investigating Intel), applauds the settlement.

“It’s a substantial settlement, which represents an acknowledgment by Intel that they were at serious risk of a finding against them.”

Contact Michael Salinger, 617-353-4408, salinger@bu.edu

Children’s strollers recalled

Dick Taffe — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:12:32 +0000

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled a million childen’s strollers made by the Maclaren USA company after reports that a side hinge had sliced off fingertips of a dozen children. School of Management Professor Michael Salinger, a former Federal Trade Commission director, says the issue of what the CPSC should be regulating is a hard question.

“It’s a small agency with a potentially huge mandate, so what is a cost-effective use of their resources is not obvious. The right answer depends in part on how effective product liability laws are in deterring companies from selling products that lop off little children’s fingers.”

Contact Michael Salinger, 617-353-4408, salinger@bu.edu