A primer in market definition
In the 1976 decision, Re QCMA, the Competition Tribunal articulated the concept of the market. It spoke of a “field of rivalry” that sets limits on the ability to “give less and charge more”. Section 4E of the Competition and Consumer Act defines the market to include products that are “substitutable for or otherwise competitive with” each other. Want to test if two products are in the same market? Some might say, “just find an economist and do a ‘SSNIP’ test”. But, when a market is changing profoundly, it’s not so easy.