Happy birthday commissioner Chopra: The Tipline for 30 January 2019

FTC commissioner Rohit Chopra said people should think of the fictional paper supply company Dunder Mifflin when considering the effect that Staples’ acquisition of a wholesaler will have on smaller suppliers. The fictional paper company from the US version of The Office television sitcom at one point battles with Staples to stay afloat and even loses its top salesman Dwight Schrute to the larger foe. Back in the real world, the FTC commissioners argued over the appropriate remedy for Staples’ merger and delved into a larger debate about vertical mergers as a whole. We’re not sure who’s argument this helps, but at one point, a Staples subsidiary actually sold Dunder Mifflin branded paper in real life, turning in millions of dollars in profits annually.