Sherman Antitrust in 21st Century essays

Sherman Antitrust in 21st Century essays Sherman Anti-trust in the 21st Century Whilst approaching the Twenty- first Century, America has taken significant strides in the advancement of high technology. With the unveiling of this new frontier comes continued innovation and government regulation. One aspect of the government in particular, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, has impeded the progress of exploration into this new field; for the effectiveness of government is a nefarious hindrance to the efficiency of technology. Thus comes the age old question of who governs and to what ends. As a solution government should adopt a more Adam Smith approach to the regulation of high technology; the Sherman Anti-Trust Act should be amended by the legislature to allow more leeway for the technological and dynamic computer industry. The result of such an amendment, especially in a world economy such as ours, would allow American computer companies to thrive and compete with foreign companies as well as lead the way into the technological future of the Twenty- fi rst Century. In the age of reform as a result of public sentiment, Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, named for Senator John Sherman. The one hundred and eight year old Sherman Act forbids monopolizing a market or engaging in any restraint of trade. Today unlawful restraints fall under three categories: 1) having too large a market share; 2) tying the sale of one product to another; 3) predatory pricing. For the past century the federal government has been pursuing a populist attack on big businessesRCA, U.S. Steel, IBM, AT however, due to government intervention and anti-trust investigation on the basis of the outdated Sherman Act, many of these cutting edge businesses were hindered in their progress for success. ...