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Re-evaluating Minority Shareholding in Competition Law Against the Background of Horizontal Shareholding by Investors: Lessons Drawn From Fintech and E-Commerce Startups in Asia

Research Project

Project/Area Number 23K20574
Project/Area Number (Other) 21H00666 (2021-2023)
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund (2024)
Single-year Grants (2021-2023)
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 05040:Social law-related
Research InstitutionKyushu University

Principal Investigator

VAN・UYTSEL S  九州大学, 法学研究院, 教授 (30432842)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 平山 賢太郎  筑波大学, ビジネスサイエンス系, 准教授 (20376396)
McGinty Sean  名古屋大学, 法学研究科, 准教授 (40706818)
M・D FENWICK  九州大学, 法学研究院, 教授 (90315036)
植村 吉輝  阪南大学, 経済学部, 教授 (90388603)
Project Period (FY) 2021-04-01 – 2026-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2024)
Budget Amount *help
¥11,830,000 (Direct Cost: ¥9,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,730,000)
Fiscal Year 2025: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥2,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000)
Keywordshorizontal shareholding / mergers / hub-and-spoke cartel / cartel facilitator / Asia / hub-and-spoke / Indonesia / India / Japan / corporate governance / new theory of harm / venture capital / hub and spoke / common ownership / keiretsu / Ola / Softbank / Snapdeal / Flipkart / quiet life theory / competition law / institutional investor / startups / unicorns / GoJek and Grab / common shareholding / fintech / e-commerce
Outline of Research at the Start

This project aims to critically evaluate the debate on horizontal shareholding, which is the simultaneous holding of shared by investors in competing companies, and competition law.To provide a new perspective, this project suggests that empirical research needs to be done on active investors as this may facilitate to map the causal links between horizontal shareholding and anti-competitive effects. The project will focus on corporate venture capital. In doing so, the research can focus on Asia’s e-commerce and fintech startups.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

This stage of the research has focused on two issues. The first issue is the extent to which Asian competition laws are able to deal with hub-and-spoke cartels and cartel facilitators. One strand in the literature on horizontal shareholding, be it the minority one, is that cartelization is facilitated by direct communication of shareholders with the directors of competing firms. The research has further held that, if this is true, the position of the shareholders should be classified as third party cartel facilitator and not as a hub. This distinction is important, because in some jurisdictions, like Japan, the competition law applies to a hub but not to a cartel facilitator. In other jurisdictions, like Indonesia, the competition law applies to neither of them. Some other jurisdictions, like India and China, amended their competition law to apply to a hub and a cartel facilitator. However, in case of China, there are limitations attached to the scope of the amendment. The second issue is questioning the novelty of the debate on horizontal shareholding. By looking into the literature on Japanese corporate governance, it can be shown that the horizontal shareholding debate comes up with a story similar to the one that was written on Japanese corporate governance in the post-war period. It has further been shown in the research that Japan had competition tools to deal with the potential negative effects but that these tools were gradually abolished.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

The progress on the research regarding hub-and-spoke cartels and cartel facilitators in Asia is going as planned. Most of the relevant cases and legislations have been mapped out. However, due to the writing of an article on horizontal shareholding or common ownership on Japan, the book on hub-and-spoke and cartel facilitators has not yet been finalized.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

The research will progress along three different lines. First, the research team will finalize the research on hub-and-spoke and third-party cartel facilitators. This research will focus on Indonesia and India, but also focus on Japan and China. Second, the research will finalize research on the references of the Indian enforcement authority to hozirontal shareholding or common ownershiop. Third, the research will start elaborating how minority shareholding is regulated in the competition law of key Asian jurisdictions. Also, it will be research on how different horizontal shareholding is present in Asia.

Report

(3 results)
  • 2023 Annual Research Report
  • 2022 Annual Research Report
  • 2021 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (20 results)

All 2023 2022 2021 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (6 results) Presentation (11 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 4 results,  Invited: 7 results) Remarks (1 results) Funded Workshop (2 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] Oxford University(英国)

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] German Monopolies Commission(ドイツ)

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Duke University(米国)

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Catholic University of Leuven(ベルギー)

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] Lund University(スウェーデン)

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research]

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] Common Ownership in Japan: The Value of Corporate Governance Mechanisms to Tackle Competition Issues2023

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      Asian Law Institute
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The Japanese Corporate Governance Paradox: Common Ownership2023

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research
    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] From Keiretsu to Common Ownership: Japan's Corporate Governance2023

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      Chulalongkorn University
    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Japan's Corporate Governance Paradox: Common Ownership2022

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      Workshop on Corporate Governance in Japan
    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Horizontal Shareholding and Competition Law: An Overview of the Issues and its Relevance for Asia2022

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      Guanghua School of Law - Zheijiang University
    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Corporate Externalities, Common Ownership and Shareholder Proposals in Japan2022

    • Author(s)
      Sean McGinty
    • Organizer
      Workshop on Corporate Governance in Japan
    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Competition Law in A Digital Environment2021

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      Presentations at Zhejiang University
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Horizontal Shareholding and Competition Law: An Overview of the Issues and its Relevance for Asia2021

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      Kobe University Innovation Workshop
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Regulating Digital Markets as a Sector, or Focus on Big Tech Companies: What's the Right Answer for ASEAN?2021

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      CLIP Discussion on Regulating Competition in Digital Markets
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Horizontal Shareholding in Asia: A Competition Law Problem2021

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      ASLI (Universitas Pelita Harapan)
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The Digital Economy and Competition in Asia2021

    • Author(s)
      Steven Van Uytsel
    • Organizer
      ASCOLA (University of Porto)
    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Remarks] Horizontal Shareholing

    • URL

      https://www.ascola-asia.com/kyushu-univ-horizontal-shareholding

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report
  • [Funded Workshop] Workshop on Corporate Governance in Japan2022

    • Related Report
      2022 Annual Research Report
  • [Funded Workshop] Kyushu University Workshop on Horizontal Shareholding2021

    • Related Report
      2021 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2021-04-28   Modified: 2024-12-25  

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