The current issue of the Review of Network Economics contains selected
papers from the recent Federal Reserve Bank of New York conference
entitled "Antitrust Activity in Card-Based Payment Systems: Causes and
Consequences" held on September 15 and 16, 2005. In contrast to our
previous special issue, which focused more on an assessment of payment
systems and their regulation in different countries, the current
selection of nine papers focuses on the theoretical literature that
analyzes card schemes. It surveys contributions to the modeling and
policy analysis of payment card systems, provides fresh perspectives on
the various policy debates surrounding card schemes, and presents new
formal analysis relevant to these debates.
As with the last special issue, we are particularly grateful to have as
the editor, James McAndrews, Vice President and Head of the Payments
Studies Function, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, who organized so
well the conference in New York and put together this fine selection of
papers that resulted from it.
We also wish to draw the reader's attention to an upcoming conference on
the related but more general topic of "Competition Policy in Two-Sided
Markets". Organized by IDEI, and set in Toulouse, France on June 29th
and July 1st, 2006, full details of the call for papers and conference
details are posted on our
announcements page. We invite other
institutions to send their announcements of conferences, workshops and
other events relevant to those working on network economics to the
journal for possible posting on our announcement page.
Co-editors: John Panzar and Julian Wright
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