Monopoli

A jury has ruled that Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, illegally monopolized the market for concert and event tickets in the United States. The verdict marks a major moment in the antitrust battle over ticketing fees and market control. Observers expect the ruling to trigger appeals and could reshape how concert tickets are sold and priced nationwide.

TSMC is increasingly dictating pricing across the AI chip industry, as the Taiwanese foundry remains the dominant manufacturer of advanced chips for companies like Nvidia, AMD and countless AI startups. With demand for leading-edge fabrication capacity outstripping supply, TSMC's pricing power shapes costs and margins across the entire AI hardware ecosystem.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has put forward a proposal for GB Grid, a new state body intended to galvanise and accelerate investment in the UK's energy infrastructure. It would be funded using money already allocated to GB Energy. The argument is that energy infrastructure is a natural monopoly that has been disrupted, and that public coordination could speed up badly needed grid investment.

Monopoli are preparing to face Savoia in an Italian football fixture that forms part of a wider round of matches pairing clubs from Puglia and Campania. Outlets are framing the matchday as a regional confrontation, noting similar cross-region matchups such as Giugliano-Barletta and Sorrento-Casarano, and the ties are drawing attention from supporters in both areas.

A blog post urging people to stop using Google, framed as ditching the search giant as a verb as well as a service, has drawn attention among tech readers. The piece reflects ongoing frustration with Google's dominance in search and the growing push toward alternatives, including other search engines and AI-powered tools.

A developer known as Contrapunctus has published a set of principles on software freedom evangelism, arguing that monopolist software will always betray its users, while anti-monopolist alternatives are more trustworthy. The claims acknowledge a trade-off: monopolist products attract more investment, and therefore offer better features and user experience, which complicates efforts to persuade people toward free software.

A US judge has dismissed two lawsuits alleging that Google's AI Overviews feature siphons web traffic from publishers, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to show a compelling case that the company leveraged its search monopoly. The decision is a win for Google as it faces ongoing antitrust scrutiny over its dominance in search.

Geronimo Cardia, president of the Italian amusement and gambling operators' association ACADI, has set out seven proposals aimed at breaking the stalemate in Italy's public gambling sector. His plan covers extending concessions, revising taxation, introducing next-generation AWPs and VLTs, clarifying the customs and monopolies agency ADM's role in territorial disputes, and addressing market concentration and governance. Industry observers say the proposals could shape the sector's long-awaited regulatory reform.

Reports are circulating about a possible fusion of the space activities of Airbus, Thales and Leonardo, a move being described as creating a European space monopoly. The discussion, tied to aerospace industry orders and consolidation, references a La Tribune report on defense and space, with observers weighing what a combined European champion would mean for the sector.

French-language defense discussions are focused on the idea that Boeing holds a monopoly position in the United States for the development of sixth-generation fighter aircraft. Commentators are linking the aircraft manufacturer to the future of American military aviation and defense capability, raising questions about competition and reliance on a single aerospace firm for next-generation combat jets.

Investors are weighing Applied Materials against ASML as a technology stock pick for 2026. Both companies dominate semiconductor equipment: Applied Materials supplies deposition and etch tools, while ASML holds a monopoly on extreme ultraviolet lithography machines essential for advanced chips. The comparison comes as chipmakers ramp spending on AI-driven capacity, leaving analysts divided over which equipment maker offers the better outlook for next year.

Conservative MP (Brandie Elliott?) is pressing for health-care reform, arguing that no one in a free country should wait for treatment while their condition worsens. She calls for ending federal monopolies over health care, empowering provinces, and giving Canadians real choice among providers, and shares a video message laying out her position.

The Wall Street Journal reports on the difficulties Hasbro faces in trying to produce the Monopoly board game entirely in the United States. The article describes the challenge of rebuilding domestic supply chains for components like the game board, tokens, cards and money, which have long been made abroad, calling the effort a 'colossal headache' for the iconic toy brand.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the state's anti-monopoly bill into law, but the final version is significantly weaker than originally proposed. According to CalMatters, business groups successfully lobbied to water down the measure before it reached his desk. The law still targets corporate consolidation in the largest US state economy, but critics say key enforcement provisions were stripped out during negotiations.