Transformation of Traditional Mechanisms for Protecting the Competitive Environment Under the Influence of Network Economy: The Place of Blockchain in the Regulatory System and New Competitive Tools (Aggregators and Price Algorithms)

Abstract

This article is aimed at understanding the current state and necessity of transformation of traditional mechanisms for protecting the competitive environment under the influence of networking and the place of blockchain in the regulatory system in the context of applying new competitive tools (aggregators price algorithms) based on the experience of foreign countries, including the perspective and approaches of newest law enforcement (judicial) practice, taking into account the fact that its knowledge allowed and allows to successfully solve current problems of legal regulation in our country. The starting point of the research is network communication as a non-market type of communication. Based on analytical reflections on the information gathered from sources and literature from the list of references the author analyzes legal framework of competition protection developed in the new technological reality, takes into account the approaches of foreign countries and the Russian Federation that determine the acceptability of the application of blockchain in the field of legal protection of competition. The relevance, theoretical and practical significance of this research is due to the emergence of new tools (aggregators and price algorithms) of competitive market struggle in the light of application of a blockchain technology that might influence the competition. The author's results are presented, among others, in the idea of the possibility of “transfer” of anti-competitive actions (price manipulation and collusion, unequal sale / distribution of information / advertising, etc. conditions) to the niche occupied by price algorithms and aggregators of information, and the need to establish a new legal framework of these new market factors.