競爭法結合管制之研究——以數位平台結合案件之效率抗辯為中心

Abstract

隨著數位技術的發展，人們將經濟與社會的活動場域，由現實生活世界轉移至數位世界。數位平台也在此背景下得以蓬勃發展，並對我們的生活造成了深遠的影響，其所帶來的改變更及於市場競爭的內容與樣貌，因而激發了許多競爭法在應對數位平台的新興競爭議題時的討論，數為平台的結合案件，即為重要的討論標的之一。 數位平台的結合，一方面可能導致市場力量的集中，而有限制競爭疑慮，另一方面卻也可能帶來一定程度的效率。在採取嚴格執法的情形下，將會降低結合所可能產生的效率的實現可能性，故本文旨在探討數位平台結合案件中，效率抗辯對於數位平台結合的影響、效率抗辯目前的定位，以及是否在因應數位平台結合案件而有調整的必要。 本論文首先回顧美國和臺灣的競爭法及其結合規範至今為止的沿革，並從競爭法的歷史背景與競爭法經濟學理論，了解競爭法的目的、競爭法所追求的效率究竟為何，乃至於效率抗辯的存立基礎，再透過分析採納效率抗辯的案例，探討目前效率抗辯在結合管制中的地位與適用狀況，並指出效率抗辯適用上的困境以及提出改進建議，包括強化效率抗辯的程序設計、論理與舉證，以及利用結合矯正措施來實現效率提升。 進而，本論文從數位平台之特性，指出效率抗辯在數位平台結合案件中能夠提供數位平台創新誘因並改善消費者福利的重要性。透過美國與臺灣數位平台結合案例之分析，提出目前實務上效率抗辯的適用問題。 最後，本論文建議應正視效率抗辯在結合管制中的地位、增加矯正措施與效率抗辯的連結性，並持續關注、吸收各國在數位平台案件中的執法經驗，以確保競爭法在面對數位平台結合案件時，能夠更有效地平衡避免限制競爭效果與追求經濟效率的目標。

Experiencing a rising of digital technology, the economic and the social activities in our everyday life have shifted from the brick-and-mortar world to the digital realm. Digital platforms have flourished, thereby changing our lives as well as the nature and dynamics of market competition. This fundamental shift has sparked heated discussions within competition law on digital-platforms-related issues, including merger control on digital platform cases. The mergers of digital platforms can lead to a concentration of market power and raise competition concerns; on the other hand, such mergers can also produce efficiencies. There is a potential risk that strict merger control may reduce these efficiencies in digital platform’s merger cases. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore the role and the practical issues of efficiency defenses in digital platform mergers to determine whether adjustments to the current situation are necessary. This thesis begins by reviewing the development of competition law and merger regulations in the United States and Taiwan, including the historical background and antitrust economic theories, to understand the goals of antitrust law and the nature of efficiencies it seeks to promote. Through case studies, this thesis examines the application status of efficiency defenses in the current merger control, identifying existing challenges and proposing improvements. These include a reform in procedural design, court and authorities reasoning, and evidence for efficiency defenses. Furthermore, the thesis proposes that employing merger remedies is helpful to realize alleged efficiency defenses. This thesis also highlights the importance of efficiency defenses in digital platform mergers, emphasizing their role in providing incentives for innovation and improving consumer welfare. By analyzing digital platform merger cases in the United States and Taiwan, the thesis identifies some practical issues in the application of efficiency defenses. Finally, this thesis suggest that courts and antitrust authorities recognize the critical role of efficiency defenses in merger control and strengthen the linkage between remedies and efficiency defenses. Continuously following and integrating enforcement experiences from various countries would be helpful. These steps are proposed to ensure that competition law effectively balances the goals of preventing anti-competitive effects and pursuing efficiency in digital platform mergers.