Registration for Antitrust Symposium Opens to All December 13

On Friday, December 13, registration for the American Booksellers Association’s Antitrust Symposium will open to those not attending Winter Institute. The symposium will be held in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, January 21, in conjunction with ABA’s 2020 Winter Institute in Baltimore.

Since space is limited, interested booksellers who have not already done so should register for the symposium and plan their travel accordingly. Registration is $25 per attendee.

Booksellers who have registered for the symposium are encouraged to check their Winter Institute schedules to see if they are double-booked for the symposium and another institute event. Booksellers may be double-booked if they registered for conflicting events at Winter Institute.

It is important to note that the departure times by bus from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., for the symposium have changed. The bus will now depart from the Hilton Baltimore at 7:30 a.m. and depart from Washington, D.C., to return to Baltimore at 2:30 p.m. Boarding begins 30 minutes prior to departure.

This is an extremely timely panel discussion, with lawmakers and regulators now investigating whether Big Tech, including Amazon, are in violation of antitrust laws. Following the panel, booksellers will have an opportunity to meet with lawmakers to discuss antitrust and other issues impacting their businesses.

The panel will look at the growing monopoly power in the retailing and tech sectors, with a focus on the extraordinary market dominance of Amazon. Among other speakers, the panel will feature:

• Matt Stoller, author of Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy (Simon & Schuster)
• Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Maria Coppola, adjunct professor at George Mason University Law School, teaching European competition law 
• David Dayen, author of Monopolized: Life in the Age of Corporate Power (The New Press)

Questions about the event can be directed to ABA Advocacy & Public Policy Coordinator Molly Bond.