演算法操縱價格之法例分析──評析美國聯合制定房屋租金案

The International Enforcement and Legislative Trends of Algorithmic Price Fixing- Commentary on Concerted house rent setting in the United States

事業應用演算法分析競爭對手的機敏資訊，歸納未來可能之定價或商業策略，競爭對手間共謀提高價格的聯合行為，影響市場競爭。美國近年應用演算法操縱價格的案例，為Cendyn公司與RealPage公司分別向飯店業者或房仲業者，提供具演算法功能的應用程式，不僅能大量蒐集與分析競爭對手之資料，亦能提供建議價格，致使飯店或房仲業者間共同提高或維持租金價格。美國國會關注定價演算法對市場的影響，分別提出《防止以演算法促進租屋卡特爾法案》、《防止演算法共謀法案》，以立法方式遏止以演算法操縱市場價格競爭。本研究擬分析由Cendyn公司案至RealPage公司案，實務見解對定價演算法判斷標準的轉變；與禁止以演算法形成市場不公平競爭之立法，提供我國競爭法主管機關參考。

Algorithms has been used to analyze competitors' sensitive information by enterprises, summarize possible future pricing or business strategies, conspire concerted action to raise prices among competitors, and influence the market competition. In recent years, the Cendyn Group, LLC and the RealPage Inc. has used algorithms to manipulate prices, they provided application software with algorithm functions which can not only collect and analyze a large amount of competitor information, but also provide recommended prices to hoteliers or real estate agents. These caused hotels or real estate agents to concert in increasing or maintaining rental prices. The U.S. Congress is concerned about the impact of pricing algorithms on the market, and has proposed the ''Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act'' and the ''Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act'' to prevent using algorithms to manipulate market price. The thesis would analyzing the changing of judgment standards of pricing algorithms from the Cendyn case to the RealPage case. Moreover, how the legislation prohibiting the use of algorithms to form unfair market competition could provide reference for the competition law authorities.