Quote:
Originally Posted by jj20x
You are speaking of brand names used by individual companies, a totally different situation. Sure, Sky Atlantic is a brand name of Sky and they can do with that as they please. Once again, the supply being restricted is HBO content. HBO is not a Sky brand name, it is a third party product.
Obviously there isn't a free market for HBO content when Sky's exclusivity deal prevents the supply of HBO content to other platforms.
In my original example of Tesco exclusively controlling the supply of fuel, the public would be free to shop at Tesco but similarly there wouldn't be a free market for fuel.
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You're quite right. It is a totally different situation from what you seem to be proposing. Good thing too.
The free market doesn't seek to restrict businesses from differentiating themselves in order to gain commercial advantage. The free market welcomes and embraces such activities.
I'm at a loss to respond to your inexplicable desire to go back to your fuel example as it has no relationship to this conversation. Petrol is a fuel, a necessity to individuals and to our country's economy more generally. HBO programming isn't. Which is why the authorities are perhaps a little less keen to reap nuclear armageddon on Sky than you are.
