Governance on Consumer Markets

Instructors

Midori TANI / Ryozo HAYASHI

Credits / Language / Semester

2Credits / English / Summer

Objectives/Overview

Well-functioning consumer markets are the base for economic activities. Consumer markets provide major source of demand for businesses. However, recent changes in consumer markets not only brought additional value to consumers but also pose new challenges to the sound functioning of consumer markets. If consumer markets do not function properly, businesses are given incentives to carry out undesirable conducts such as deceiving consumers and hide information on accidents, leading the economy to deteriorate.
This course will look into measures for prevention of fraudulent businesses, product safety and protection of intellectual property rights.

Keywords

  消費市場,ガバナンス,消費者問題,消費者政策,悪質商法,製品安全,知的財産権の保護

  Consumer market, governance, consumer problem, consumer policy, fraudulent business, product safety, intellectual property right,

Schedule

1. Introduction
2. Changes and Problems in Consumer Markets
3. Overview and Classification of Measures
4. Preventing Fraudulent Businesses 1: Regulations
5. Preventing Fraudulent Businesses 2: Guidelines
6. Preventing Fraudulent Businesses 3: Sharing Information/Internalization of Norms
7. Presentations by Students 1
8. Product Safety 1: Regulations
9. Product Safety 2: Voluntary Standards
10. Product Safety 3: Sharing Information/Internalization of Norms
11. Presentations by Students 2
12. Special lecture: Protecting Intellectual Property Rights including Preventing Counterfeits
13. Visit to the Patent Office
14. Wrap-up

Teaching Methods

Most of the classes will be lectures with Q&A.
Two classes will be presentations by the students.

Grading

  Grading will be based upon the class participation and a final report.

Required Textbooks

Midori TANI “A Properly Functioning Consumer Market as the Backbone of the Japanese Economy”
http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/columns/a01_0347.html
Midori TANI “Japan’s Consumer Policy”
http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/special/policy-update/036.html

Reference Books

OECD “Consumer Policy Toolkit”
http://www.oecd.org/sti/consumer/consumerpolicytoolkit.htm
OECD “Report on Consumer Protection in Online and Mobile Payments” http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/report-on-consumer-protection-in-online-and-mobile-payments_5k9490gwp7f3-en

Notes on Taking the Course

Active participation in the class is required.

Related Resources

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