美国现行反垄断法对软件产业的适用性探析——以搭售和掠夺性定价为例

Application of American Antitrust Law to Software Industry: Reconsideration on Tying and Predatory Pricing

本文对软件产业的搭售与掠夺性定价行为进行了法律和经济分析。在美国现行的反垄断法体系中,这是属于典型的滥用市场势力的两种行为。但在软件产业却不能凭借传统标准简单地把这两种行为归结为垄断行为,而应从产业本身的特点和竞争环境出发谨慎对待。如一味运用美国现行的反垄断法惩罚软件产业正当的竞争行为,只会从更大程度上抑制竞争,损害消费者福利。在网络经济条件下,反垄断法应该顺应经济和技术的变化做出相应调整。

The paper analyses tying and predatory pricing in software industry economically and lawfully. However, the two behaviors that involved abusing market power in accordance with American current antitrust law system are not always lawbreaking in software industry, instead, considering particular features of certain industry and dynamic competing condition, more prudential measures should be taken when judging monopoly of software industry by citing traditional antitrust laws. As a result, this paper points out that competition and consumers' welfare would be impaired and deprived of if antitrust law was applied blindly and irrelevantly to appropriate competitive behaviors in high-tech industry. In the condition of network economy, a new antitrust law is urgently needed to meet changes on economy and technology.