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" worked to standardize the life expectancy of light bulbs at 1,000 hours (down from 2,500 hours), and raised prices without fear of competition. The cartel tested their bulbs and fined manufacturers for bulbs that lasted more than 1,000 hours.".. Wow. How is this legal?

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It isn't, they were a cartel.

It was legal at the time.

Oh my gosh, when has legal ever mattered?

It has always mattered. Illegality drives up risk, businesses seek to minimize risk.

The flip side is that if something is illegal but the perceived risk of being caught is lower than the perceived gain, the laws are likely to be broken. That's why fines to businesses tend to be quite steep.

Of course in this case, there was no risk, as cartels were legal at the time.

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