China Could Be Another Hurdle In MS Yahoo Bid

wattrlz points out a NYTimes piece on the clout China could soon wield on antitrust matters and the impact it could have on Microsoft's Yahoo bid. A new Chinese anti-monopoly law takes effect in August that will extend the nation's economic influence far beyond its borders. Nathan Bush, an antitrust law specialist in Beijing, said the law represents the ascendance of China "as another regulatory capital contending for influence with Brussels and Washington." The article makes it clear that no one knows how China will play its burgeoning antitrust influence — conciliatory or nationalistic.

Comments

Notahurdle.

[Whiney Mac Fanboy]

China will be perfectly happy with the new united Microhoo as long as Microhoo is as compliant in handing over dissident's information as Yahoo & Microsoft are as separate companies.

Need a global standard

[Alain Williams]

OK: I am talking the talk of the idealist here but we can dream ...

The trouble with all of this is that any organisation that deals internationally (ie have a web site visible globally) needs to check that it is compliant in all 195 countries in the world - both in terms of web-site/mail-order/dealing-with-customers/... and in terms of corporate governance [think accounts, anti-monopoly, reporting, ... legislation].

We could really do with agreed international standards - so that I know that if I am compliant by one set of rules that I can download/read/... then I am OK everywhere.

OK: it would be a long haul, but we could start with web sites & web trading. One size would not fit all, but if I could to choose from a half dozen or so standard terms and conditions that I could display/link on my web site (with standard/authorised translations into all languages) then: I would know where I stand as would my customers. Be honest: do you always read/understand the terms and conditions from every web site that you visit ? I have refused to deal with some places (eg ebay) because the T&Cs were too long/complicated.

The main people to loose would be charlatans and solicitors - neither of who I care much about; both are usually scum.

The chances of this coming to be in my lifetime are small. unfortunately.

Re:Oh the Irony!

[FooAtWFU]

Oh yes, US is so much better, with its Demoblican/Republicrat duopoly... Yeah. Bush administration does something that a bunch of people don't like, and some of those Democrats are SCREAMING THEIR LUNGS OUT about how he's the WORST PRESIDENT EVAR!!! and such. They dump fliers around, they poke fun of the administration in late-night comedy shows, blogs, and The New York Times; they stage marches, rallies, protests. And they don't get sent to jail even for a few moments except in a few incidents such as when someone is doing the screaming right up in front of the Prez trying to make a speech, AND when THAT happens they get tons of media attention about it to boot.

China, if you try to distribute pictures of the tank in Tiannamen Square, you're very quietly taken off to goodness-knows-where and disappear.

Does the US need improvement? Quite possibly. Is it "so much better"? You'd better believe it, pal!