Online Markets vs. Traditional Markets

This third conference in the Law and Economics of Innovation series will focus on Online Markets vs.Traditional Markets. We will address the economics of online markets and their regulation, in particular by assessing whether and how online markets differ from traditional markets. There are, of course, obvious differences between the local grocery store and eBay, and between Google and the local Yellow Pages. We will explore the nature of these differences and their implications, if any, for how online markets are organized and regulated. We will address these questions first by returning to basics—by looking into the economic forces at work in online and traditional product markets. Next, we will consider the levers of regulation most important to online markets and whether the design of these regulations reflects the underlying economic realities. Finally, we take head-on the question of “online exceptionalism,” asking about the policy implications of non-traditional online business models and non-traditional markets.

Approved 4.0 CLE credit hours by the Virginia Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Board.

Joshua D. Wright, and Geoffrey Manne are this year's conference organizers.

Save the Date: May 7, 2009

8:00 am - 8:45 am: Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00 am - 4:30 pm: Conference

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Reception

Hilton Arlington

703-528-6000

William E. Kovacic

Federal Trade Commissioner
Keynote Speaker

Susan Athey

Department of Economics, Harvard University
Keynote Speaker

Joshua D. Wright

School of Law, George Mason University

Howard Beales

School of Business, George Washington University

Peter Swire

Ohio State University School of Law

Mary Snapp

Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft Corp.

Florencia Marotta-Wurgler

New York University School of Law

F. Scott Kieff

School of Law, Washington University

Philip J. Weiser

University of Colorado Law School

Michael R. Baye

Indiana University's Kelley School of Business

Susan DeSanti

Director of Policy Planning, Federal Trade Commission

Randal C. Picker

University of Chicago Law School

Christopher Wolf

Partner and Co-Chair, Privacy and Data Security Practice Group, Hogan & Hartson

Thomas W. Hazlett

School of Law, George Mason University

Peter Klein

University of Missouri

Geoffrey Manne

Lewis & Clark Law School

Eric Goldman

Santa Clara University School of Law