Regulating Competition ─ Cartel registers in the twentieth century world

In recent years, research on competition policies and business collusion has grown substantially. Studies on restrictive business practices at the industry or inter firm level, the development of competition policies and/or legal frameworks to advance these, as well as the activities of public authorities, are just a few of the themes explored by scholars around the globe. In addition to this, the new availability of valuable empirical material has led to a revival in research into historical cartel and competition policy.

The main goal of this book is to address transformations in the regulation of competition and cartels from a historical and transnational perspective. A particular focus will be put on the system of ‘cartel registration’ implemented in many countries since the interwar period and especially prevalent in the post-war decades up until the 1980s and ‘90s, when this regulative instrument became phased out. The book will explore the issues involved from both an international perspective and from the perspective of various country case studies, spanning Europe, Japan and Australia. The timeframe is the ‘long Twentieth century’, but the main focus will be the period 1920-1990.

In bringing together this group of international scholars, the volume offers an unsurpassed insight into the historical evolution of competition policies and different anti-trust traditions, both at a national and international level.

Susanna Fellman is Professor of Business History at the School of Business, Economics and Law at Gothenburg University, Sweden.

Peter Sandberg is a Researcher in the School of Business, Economics and Law at Gothenburg University, Sweden.

Martin Shanahan is Dean of Research for the Division of Business, Deputy Director of the Centre for Regulation and Market Analysis and Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Commerce, at the University of South Australia, Australia.