CO1 Assess the legal environment of business. CO2 Explain how ethical frameworks shape business decisions. CO10 Assess laws applying to antitrust and consumer protection.Assignment Prompt:The follow

CO1 Assess the legal environment of business.

CO2 Explain how ethical frameworks shape business decisions.

CO10 Assess laws applying to antitrust and consumer protection.

Assignment Prompt:The following five (5) companies have been in the news due to either a consumer protection or antitrust problem. Select ONE of these companies from the first column as the subject of your paper. You are provided source links in the table about the company to get you started. You will need to do more research about the company as well as the ethical frameworks and applicable law.

Company

Fact sources to get you started

Comments/additional sources

Southern Rail, U.K.

(Consumer issue)

Little, S. (2018, January 16). Southern Rail voted UK’s worst train service for third year in a row. Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/southern-rail-uk-worst-train-service-2017-third-year-row-which-thameslink-great-northern-a8162516.html

Additional citation for you for facts:

Stauffenberg, J. (2016, August 18). Two girls hit as ceiling collapses on Southern Rail train. Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/southern-rail-train-ceiling-roof-collapse-commuters-two-girls-injured-hit-a7197541.html

For other issues, think creatively: explore employment, workplace safety (a subset of employment), tort of negligence (what duty is owed passengers?), defamation, —- remember this company is in U.K.

Google

(Antitrust)

Google faces antitrust fine from EU over Adsense. (2019, March 15). Pymnts. Retrieved from https://www.pymnts.com/news/regulation/2019/google-antitrust-fine-eu/

Note this is EU antitrust law.

Google is rich ground for finding other areas of law to discuss. Consider such topics as privacy, contract, defamation, intellectual property, employment

Rent-A-Center Business

(Consumer)

Eiserer, T. & Smith, M. (2018, May 23). That couch you’re sitting on could land you in jail. WFAA. Retrieved from https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/that-rented-couch-youre-sitting-on-could-land-you-in-jail/287-556666587

and

Complaints and accusations of abusive collection practices pile up against Rent-A-Center. (2017, November 15). MarketWatch. Retrieved from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/complaints-and-accusations-of-abusive-collection-practices-pile-up-against-rent-a-center-2017-11-15

This is in Texas. You might take a look at possible prosecution of Rent-A-Center in California. Not clear this is all the same umbrella company, a franchise, or just common practices by same type companies in TX, but I suspect it is RAC. Take a look at the second article I listed in VA. Tons of issues here. For other the legal topics, consider contract, defamation, trespass, criminal law, and other torts (research these how these apply)

Apple

(Antitrust)

Spotify v. Apple

Vincent, J. (2019, March 13). Spotify files antitrust complaint over “Apple tax.” The Verge. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/13/18263453/spotify-apple-app-store-antitrust-complaint-ec-30-percent-cut-unfair

And

Lapowsky, I. (2019, March 13). Spotify’s Apple complaint cuts to a core antitrust issue. Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/spotify-apple-complaint-warren-antitrust-issue/

For the other topics, look into Apple’s employment practices, contract practices, privacy protections, corporate social responsibility, ethical code, etc.

Heritage Pharmaceuticals

(Antitrust)

Associated Press. (2016, December 15). 20 states sue 6 makers of generic drugs, alleging conspiracies to manipulate prices. L.A. Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-generic-drug-antitrust-20161215-story.html

This has morphed from a couple of drugs to a cartel of 300 drugs involved. See this one:

Rowland, C. (2018, December 9). Investigation of generic ‘cartel’ expands to 300 drugs. Washington Post. Retr…