[asterisk-biz] OT: Anti-dumping laws?

[SIP]

Trixter aka Bret McDanel wrote:
> On Fri, 2009-06-26 at 10:33 -0400, SIP wrote:
>   
>> Would then Skype be able to come back and do the same thing as an effort
>> to recapture any lost users? Or would that fall under some sort of
>> anti-dumping umbrella because it's now a foreign company that's giving
>> services away below cost?
>>
>>     
>
> loss leaders are legal in the US unless you dominate the particular
> market, then there are anti-trust laws that come into play and they may
> not forbid it outright, it depends on the particulars.
>
> Google has virtually a 0 market share when it comes to pstn terminated
> voice traffic.  As a result they do not have the same restrictions that
> someone who dominates the market has.  As VoIP to the customer in
> general is only a small percentage of all telephone calls, most VoIP
> providers would not have such things.
>
> Telephony in the US is regulated, although how much depends on what
> exactly you are doing.  It is legal for companies to sell below their
> cost, and in one FCC case it was specifically stated that companies
> cannot complain if they sell below cost and someone buys and uses the
> service, that the burden is on the carrier to file proper tariffs and
> enter into proper contracts with customers to avoid losing money if that
> is what they want.
>
> Look at blended rate traffic, unlimited calling (which people have
> stated both tmobile and verizon wireless really are unlimited), and
> more.  It is quite possible that these companies are losing money on
> this, and these companies also are some of the largest in their
> particular market (CMRS), but it is not illegal.
>
> So I wonder why you thought it should, or would be illegal for google to
> give service away for free when first starting out trying to get
> customers ...
>
>
>   
I don't necessarily think it would or should be illegal for Google. And,
as far as I know, anti-dumping laws only apply to non-US companies.
Which is why I was wondering if Skype would get hit by them if it tried
to do the same thing, as they're a market leader and they're a
non-domestic company.


N.