The 5th Open Seminar

　The Competition Policy Research Center in Japan Fair Trade Commission (CPRC) held the 5th open seminar in cooperation with Fair Trade Institute on September 20, 2005.

Materials(English PowerPoint Files)
Lecture 1(PowerPoint Files:322KB)　Prof. Tanaka
Lecture 2(PowerPoint Files:255KB)　Prof. Economides
Lecture 3(PowerPoint Files:126KB)　Prof. Gilbert

1 Date and Venue

2 Programs

(1) Theme: Network Externalities and Competion Policy

[Outline]
　Competition may be restricted if a company or a trade association controls atechnological standard. In this regard, what kind of competition policy shouldbe required? This is the question continuously asked through Microsoft case orother trials dealing with standardization in the information technology sectorin recent years. As these days some new knowledge have emerged and researcheson the question have been conduted, the argument based on those researches isimportant for a better competition policy.

　The CPRC has been researching the positive analysis onthe network externalities of OS and application software mainly with AssociateProfessor Tanaka (one of speakers in the open seminar), Keio University.

　At the open seminar, two prominent researchers, Gilbert(professor,University of California) and Economides (professor, New York University),are invited from overseas. First, Associate Prof. Tanaka and those two professorswill give key note lectures respectively and then have panel discussions.

(2) Lecturers:

-Tatsuo TANAKA Associate professor of economics, Keio University / visiting researcher of CPRC
"Positive analysis of OS and the network externalities of application software"
He has been engaging in positive researches on phenomenon in IT industry with some keywords such as network externalities, switching cost,module etc. He is in favor of regulations against monopoly.

-Nicholas Economides Professor of Economics, New York University
Network externalities and an antitrust policy" (working title)
He has been doing researches on the organization of network industry from the theoretic perspective. He also began to watch the Microsoft cases at theearly stage and has made public a lot of papers on the issue. He rings an alarmon excessive intervention in private sector by the government.

-Richard J. Gilbert Professor of Economics, University ofCalifornia
→CV
"Competition and network externalities-reconsideration" (working title)
He has conduted a lot of researches on the network externalities and patent.Additionally, he has profound knowledge on antitrust policy. He has extendedwell-balanced argument over the matter from wider point of view.

(3) Moderators:

Part 1: Yosuke OKADA
Associate Professor of economics, Graduate Course, Graduate School of Economics,Hitotsubashi University / Senior Researcher, CPRC
Part 2: Kotaro SUZUMURA
Professor of economics, Hitotsubashi University Economic Research Institute / Director, CPRC