How come Marvel and DC have a oligopoly?

Hello. I was wondering...why have Marvel and DC not been sued for having a monopoly on the market yet?

But I mean COME ON. Do any of those companies REALLY have anything on Marvel and DC to the point where they can't be sued for having a monopoly? Also, who owns valiant now?

its changing.... Image, Manga, 2000AD, Dark Horse, Boom, Dynamite, IDW back in the 60s and 70s independents had no chance, today at least they have a chance to grow

because they don't have a monopoly...that's why

Image, Valiant, and Dynamite are publishing better comics than DC and Marvel. But more people continue to buy DC and Marvel.

Cant sue companies just because they are doing better than the others. Its a free market and that means some companies will do good while others wont, cant go around punishing the successful ones.

Doesn't monopoly suggest only ONE company?

I'm more concerned that I have to pay $200+ dollars for a operating system designed for old people and toddlers that breaks of you look at it the wrong way and have no other choice if I want to actually have software designed for my OS.

@rdclip: a monopoly can consist of multiple companies

It wouldn't be called a monopoly, though...

Sorry, I don't know anything about corporate law.

Still, ever since DC and Marvel has existed, there has always been other companies that make comics. And DC and Marvel don't do anything to impede on their business. In fact DC and Marvel has had crossovers with Dark Horse and Image in the past. I'm sure the comic book business is competitive, but a consumer always has had more options other than just DC or Marvel.

@perezite: Ok, so lets pretend they were sued. Then what? The comic world would be turned upside down. Both have some awesome writers and artists that belong in the kingdoms that they have worked so hard to get to, and who are we to tear them down?

People?

@perezite: Meh. You have to spend money to make money. We've all heard that one. And I'm sure these 2 companies have the most.

I know. That's why they have a monopoly and why I made this thread.

@perezite: The thread's title is "how come....?" Excuse me. :)

Oh yeah...

Free dictionary has monopoly as:

An economic advantage held by one or more persons or companies deriving from the exclusive power to carry on a particular business or trade or to manufacture and sell a particular item, thereby suppressing competition and allowing such persons or companies to raise the price of a product or service substantially above the price that would be established by a free market.

Marvel and DC each have around 30-35% of the market, right? So they don't have exclusive power, even taken together.

And they can't be taken together because there isn't evidence they collude to raise prices. Marvel and DC are competing with one another on price, with DC holding some prices lower to grab more market.

Neither company holds a monopoly over the comic industry.

When its more than one a monopoly becomes an oligopoly

1. It isn't a monopoly
2. Let's say it is for example purposes, the comic book industry isn't as important as car companies or cell phones.

It's only a monopoly if there is only one seller. Seeing as how DC and Marvel are direct competitors, I would say they're not even an oligopoly. The market for comic books is so ridiculously elastic I don't see how it could ever be a monopoly. And if it was, that would be due to the readership, not the companies.

@perezite: the term is Oligopoly. Monopoly implies only one group, while DC and Marvel are direct competitors. ... And my inner Grammar nazi just came out...

This

Can't sue 'God'! They are 'The Man' (not the great character in Breathtaker! But in the trad sense!) and by the way..... Accident Man, originally in Toxic comic, was an awesome strip, influenced every anti-hero hit man or spy character. Collected graphic novel finally out next year but independant film in the works on Kickstarter.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...y=1&ref=search

Yes, I am pushing it! The art was awesome, the plots vicious, dark humoured and cunning. A film would be amazing. Have a look and what do you think? A decent counterpoint to the Marvel/DC/Holywood monopoly...?

your own title is a contradiction:

How can they have a monopoly if they fight against each other?

that makes no sense. not to mention Image and Dark Horse, have a nice say on things, not to mention there's a lot of others out there like Dynamite, Valiant, etc... and Valiant is growing too

The only way Marvel or DC could be sued is if they do something illegal. Just being the largest and most popular does not make it illegal. Monopolies (Oligopoly in this case) are still legal as long as they comply with laws. Monopolies get in trouble when they try to use their resources to destroy their 'little' competition as opposed to bettering themselves. For instance, they could form a cartel and decide to sell their books for a $1.00 for an entire year. They could potentially handle the loss, but smaller companies may not be able to absorb it. This would be predatory pricing for the point of eliminating competition and there could be a case for suing. There are various things that they could do which would be illegal, but being more popular amongst fans is not one of them.

#5 Posted by danhimself (19224 posts) - 28 days, 13 hours ago - Show Bio

because they don't have a monopoly...that's why

Lol! This.

Has to be one company not two.

Oligopoly.

they are not working together and they are direct competitors. also, they aren't doing anything illegal in the markets to influence them and I'm not sure if oligopoly is actually a crime. I don't know how the law works in the US, but I thought only monopolies were to be penalized

@perezite: doesn't apply either. They don't control majority share of industry and there's no collusion as there in direct competition with each other.

The ones with the most money wins.

Wait.. so Image or Valiant could sue the big 2 if they did that?

I mean it would be a little bitter, but even so, how is that strategy illegal? Because it has the intent of taking another company off the market?

Ummm...yeah. They do. Together, Marvel and DC have the largest market shares.

@i_like_swords: I dont know much about monopolies, but I do know that is illegal for companies to collaborate together to set a uniform price for their products.

I see.. gotcha.

A lot of countries have competition laws and antitrust laws that disallow this type of behavior. It is meant to help customers. If large companies are able to drive out their competition by putting them out of business, there is nothing stopping them from releasing an inferior good or raising prices significantly. There are several different tactics that could fall under antitrust or competition laws but I haven't studied business law for a while so this was the only one that came to mind at the moment.

Yeah that definitely makes sense. If Marvel and DC did that then there wouldn't be any other comic companies left..

and IDW!