You should charge these folks for this consulting service! ;^) You
may have just saved their collective asses.
BTW, how are things!
Donald
----------
From: Lee.Levitt@software.com[SMTP:Lee.Levitt@software.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 1997 9:51 AM
To: ntisp@emerald.iea.com
Subject: Re: 56K / X2 pricing
At 08:37 AM 6/19/97 -0400, you wrote:
>That is correct; price fixing would only apply if the participants
were
>large enough to control an entire market, such as AT&T, MCI, Sprint
in long
>distance service.
Um, no.
If two gas station owners get together over coffee or on a mailing
list and
decide that premium is going to go for $1.49, that's price fixing. It
has
*nothing* to do with free speech or the forum on which it's conducted.
If
the *intent* is to offer similar pricing it doesn't matter where or
how or
why or who. If you agree with *any* of your competitors to offer
equivalent
pricing, that's price fixing. And you pay a fine and/or go to jail.
You're certainly allowed to *watch* the competition to see how they
price
their products and services. You can even match them to the penny. But
when
you go across the street and say "How about $1.49?" then you've
stepped
over the line.
If two ISPs decide that $20/call is what they're going to charge for
tech
support calls, *that's* price fixing too. And you pay a fine and/or go
to
jail.
If you don't believe me call your lawyer. If you don't have one, get
one.
Soon.
And if you're going to talk about price setting, don't do it on a
public
and traceable forum such as this list. Do it over coffee. Best of luck
to
you. :)
Can we end this discussion now?
Lee
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