[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 250 (Thursday, December 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82373-82374]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33027]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

[File No. 001-0181; Docket No. C-3991]


Computer Sciences Corporation and Mynd Corporation; Analysis To 
Aid Public Comment

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Proposed Consent Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged 
violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or 
practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to 
Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft 
complaint that accompanies the consent agreement and the terms of the 
consent order--embodied in the consent agreement--that would settle 
these allegations.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 19, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be directed to: FTC/Office of the Secretary, 
Room H-159, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel J. Silver, FTC/H-374, 600 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. (202) 326-3102.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 6(f) of the Federal 
Trade Commission Act, 38 Stat. 721, 15 U.S.C. 46, and section 2.34 of 
the Commission's Rules of Practice (16 CFR 2.34), notice is hereby 
given that the above-captioned consent agreement containing a consent 
order to cease and desist, having been filed with and accepted, subject 
to final approval, by the Commission, has been placed on the public 
record for a period of thirty (30) days. The following Analysis to Aid 
Public Comment describes the terms of the consent agreement, and the 
allegations in the complaint. An electronic copy of the full text to 
the consent agreement package can be obtained from the FTC Home Page 
(for December 20, 2000), on the World Wide Web, at ``http://
www.ftc.gov/os/2000/12/index.htm.'' A paper copy can be obtained from 
the FTC Public Reference Room, Room H-130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20580, either in person or by calling (202) 326-
3627.
    Public comment is invited. Comments should be directed to: FTC/
Office of the Secretary, Room H-159 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20580. Two paper copies of each comment should be filed, 
and should be accompanied, if possible, by a 3\1/2\ inch diskette 
containing an electronic copy of the comment. Such comments or views 
will be considered by the Commission and will be available for 
inspection and copying at its principal office in accordance with 
section 4.9(b)(6)(ii) of the Commission's Rules of Practice (16 CFR 
4.9(b)(6)(ii)).

Analysis of the Complaint and Proposed Consent Order To Aid Public 
Comment

I. Introduction

    The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') has accepted, subject 
to final approval, an Agreement Containing Consent Orders (``Consent 
Agreement'') from Computer Sciences Corporation (``CSC'') and Mynd 
Corporation (``Mynd'') (collectively ``respondents''). The Consent 
Agreement is intended to resolve anticompetitive effects stemming from 
CSC's proposed acquisition of the outstanding shares of Mynd. The 
Consent Agreement includes a proposed Decision and Order (the 
``Order'') that would require CSC to divest Mynd's claims assessment 
systems business to Insurance Services Office, Incorporated (``ISO''). 
Mynd develops and sells a claims assessment system known as Claims 
Outcome Advisor (``COA''). The Consent Agreement also includes an Order 
to Maintain Assets that requires respondents to preserve the assets 
they are required to divest as a viable, competitive, and ongoing 
operation until the divestiture is achieved.
    The Order, if finally issued by the Commission, would settle 
charges that CSC's proposed acquisition of Mynd may have substantially 
lessened competition in the United States market for claims assessment 
systems. The Commission has reason to believe that CSC's proposed 
acquisition of Mynd would have violated section 7 of the Clayton Act 
and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The proposed 
complaint, described below, relates the basis for this belief.

II. Description of the Parties and the Proposed Merger

    CSC, headquartered in El Segundo, California, is a large computer-
services provider, which also sells vertical software applications in 
the financial services industries. CSC's Financial Services Group 
(``FSG''), headquartered in Austin, Texas, provides consulting and 
support services along with application software to insurance 
companies, banking, consumer finance companies, and investment 
companies.
    Mynd, headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, provides 
consulting and services and packaged software solutions to the 
insurance and other financial services industries.
    Pursuant to an agreement, CSC will make a $16 per share cash tender 
offer for outstanding Mynd shares. Mynd will then become a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of CSC.

III. The Proposed Complaint

    According to the Commission's proposed complaint, the relevant line 
of commerce in which to analyze the effects of CSC's proposed 
acquisition of Mynd is the provision of claims assessment systems, and 
the relevant geographic market is the United States. Claims assessment 
systems are computer software and other intellectual property used by 
insurance companies and others to evaluate appropriate payments for 
claims for bodily injury or to evaluate return-to-work plans in workers 
compensation claims. Claims assessment systems are designed to aid 
claims adjusters by providing a consistent methodology for analyzing 
information that an adjuster would take into account in assessing the 
appropriate settlement values for claims. Mynd sells the claims 
assessment system known as COA, and CSC sells the claims assessment 
system known as Colossus. The proposed complaint alleges that the 
market for claims assessment systems in the United States is highly 
concentrated and that CSC and Mynd are the only significant competitors 
in the provision of claims assessment systems. The proposed complaint 
alleges that the proposed acquisition of Mynd by CSC would create a 
monopoly or near monopoly in the market for claims assessment systems.
    The proposed complaint also alleges that entry into the relevant 
market would not be timely, likely, or sufficient to deter or offset 
adverse effects of the acquisition on competition. Entry is difficult 
in this market because the time expense necessary to develop software 
systems such as these are great. Claims

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assessment systems involve the use of expert-system technology, which 
is a set of computerized methods for exploiting information drawn from 
relevant knowledge domains through rules or algorithms so as to assist 
in the solution of realworld problems, such as claims assessment. Entry 
is difficult in this market because of the time and expense necessary 
for finding and choosing the appropriate domain information, choosing 
or developing the appropriate rules or algorithms, and integrating the 
expert-system technology into a computing platform that is sufficiently 
robust, scalable, and stable while incorporating a domain-appropriate 
user interface.
    The proposed complaint alleges that CSC's proposed acquisition of 
Mynd would eliminate actual, direct, and substantial competition 
between CSC and Mynd. Elimination of this competition would likely 
result in increased prices for claims assessment systems and reduced 
innovation as a result of delayed or reduced product development.

IV. Terms of the Agreement Containing Consent Order

    The proposed Order is designed to remedy the anticompetitive 
effects of the acquisition in the United States market for claims 
assessment systems, as alleged in the complaint, by requiring the 
divestiture to ISO of Mynd's claims assessment business. The Order 
would also require respondents to dismiss with prejudice all of CSC's 
intellectual-property litigation claims against Neuronworks, the 
original developers of COA, so as to enable Neuronworks to perform COA-
related consulting or other work in conjunction with ISO or another 
acquirer. Further, the Order would require respondents to release, hold 
harmless, and indemnify ISO or other acquirer from liability for any 
past, current, or future claims arising out of Mynd's and Neuronworks's 
acts prior to the divestiture date related to COA. The purpose of these 
provisions is to allow the acquirer to compete in the market by selling 
COA free from claims by CSC of intellectual property infringement. The 
proposed Order would also require respondents to divest other assets 
related to Mynd's claims assessment systems business, including 
customer lists, contracts, intellectual property, and other intangible 
assets so as to put ISO or another acquirer into a position to compete 
as soon as possible following the divestiture.
    ISO, based in New York City, is a leading vendor of statistical, 
actuarial, and underwriting information for and about the property and 
casualty insurance industry. ISO uses these statistics to develop 
advisory prospective loss costs--projections of average future claim 
payments and loss adjustment expenses, for various lines of insurance 
and classifications of policy holders. Insurance companies use these 
loss costs to develop their own independent rates for their insurance 
policies. ISO also provides aggregate insurance statistics to state 
regulators.
    If the Commission, at the time that it accepts the proposed Order 
for public comment, notifies respondents that it does not approve of 
the proposed divestiture to ISO, or the manner of the divestiture, the 
proposed Order provides that respondents would have three months to 
divest Mynd's claims assessment business to a different Commission-
approved acquirer. If respondents did not complete the divestiture in 
that period, a trustee would be appointed who, upon Commission 
approval, would have the authority to divest Mynd's claims assessment 
business to a Commission-approved acquirer.
    The proposed Order to Maintain Assets that is also included in the 
Consent Agreement requires that respondents preserve the Mynd assets 
they are required to divest as a viable and competitive operation and 
conduct the Mynd claims assessment business in the ordinary course of 
business until those Mynd assets are transferred to the Commission-
approved acquirer.
    The Consent Agreement requires respondents to provide the 
Commission with an initial report setting forth in detail the manner in 
which respondents will comply with the provisions relating to the 
divestiture of assets. The proposed Order further requires respondents 
to provide the Commission with a report of compliance with the Order 
within thirty (30) days following the date the Order becomes final and 
every thirty (30) days thereafter until they have complied with the 
terms of the Order.

V. Opportunity for Public Comment

    The proposed Order has been placed on the public record for thirty 
days for receipt of comments by interested persons. Comments received 
during this period will become part of the public record. After thirty 
days, the Commission will again review the proposed Order and the 
comments received and will decide whether it should withdraw from the 
proposed Order or make it final. By accepting the proposed Order 
subject to final approval, the Commission anticipates that the 
competitive problems alleged in the proposed complaint will be 
resolved. The purpose of this analysis is to invite public comment on 
the proposed Order, including the proposed divestiture, to aid the 
Commission in its determination of whether to make the proposed Order 
final. This analysis is not intended to constitute an official 
interpretation of the proposed Order, nor is it intended to modify the 
terms of the proposed Order in any way.

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-33027 Filed 12-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-M