[alkonaut]

> Why are you on YC if you think free market tech is dead?

I have been visiting this forum for 12 years. It took probably 5 years before I _heard_ about the "other" part of ycombinator - the startup thing. But I never really cared about that bit, it's just an online tech forum that happens to share domain with the startup incubator.

> lol, what? We have different laws depending on how popular you are?

Absolutely. I think that is pretty universal already. For example laws preventing monopolies (government approvals of mergers, for example).

[ecb_penguin]

> For example laws preventing monopolies (government approvals of mergers, for example).

Can you show me the federal code that includes number of customers?

Do you think monopoly rules are about size or behavior? Do you think a small mom and pop store couldn't act in monopolistic practices?

Do you think a small mom and pop store in a rural captured market couldn't price fix?

Hint: It's not size :)

[alkonaut]

> Can you show me the federal code that includes number of customers?

I never mentioned ”number of customers”. The relevant law surrounding monopolies is the Clayton antitrust act of 1914

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/18

What is and isn’t a monopoly is of course decided on a case by case basis - as it should. There is no law saying that 80% market share is necesssarily a monopoly or that 20% is so low it can’t be blocked.

> Do you think a small mom and pop store in a rural captured market couldn't price fix?

Not sure how it’s relevant but they can of course haves local monopoly - but afaik in the US such local monopolies aren’t subject to regulation.