Dangers of Cooperation or Coordination on Purchasing -
Two recent cases demonstrate the competition law risks which can arise when competitors cooperate or coordinate in relation to purchasing. Competition law compliance...more
Textbook Long-Term Cartel Fined in the EU -
On 27 September 2019, the European Commission announced it had fined two canned vegetable suppliers for participating in a cartel that ran for more than 13 years. Another...more
Brexit is (or may be) Coming!
More than three years after the EU referendum in the UK (in which 37 percent of the electorate at the time voted “Leave”), it is still unclear whether the UK will leave the EU on 31 October...more
A Classic Online RPM Case in the UK -
On 1 August 2019, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it had fined digital piano and keyboard supplier Casio £3.7 million for engaging in illegal resale price...more
European Commission Finds Predatory Pricing of Chipsets -
For the first time in 16 years, the European Commission has imposed a fine for what the Commission found was an abuse of dominance by predatory pricing. Any company...more
BE CAREFUL! PROCEDURAL ISSUES MATTER IN MERGER CONTROL -
The analysis of where to file mergers, acquisitions, investments and joint ventures worldwide is more complex than ever. Countries have widely varying jurisdictional...more
BE CAREFUL WHEN POOLING DATA -
On 14 May 2019, the European Commission provided a reminder that, although often pro-competitive and legal, in some situations data-pooling arrangements may be seen as anti-competitive....more
A Classic Online RPM Case in the UK -
On 11 April 2019, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it had provisionally found that digital piano and keyboard supplier Casio has engaged in illegal resale price...more
It’s Up to You: Companies Must Ensure EU State Aid Is Legal -
If a company receives illegal State aid from an EU government or public entity, then it is at risk of being required to repay the value of that aid plus...more
On 7 February 2019, the German competition law regulator, the Federal Cartel Office (FCO), concluded a lengthy investigation into Facebook. It found that the company abused its dominant market position by making the use of...more
3/5/2019
/ Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Data Collection ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Facebook ,
Federal Cartel Office (the FCO) ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Germany ,
Popular ,
Social Media
Consultation on Changes to Rules on Vertical Agreements -
The EU Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) is probably, in practice, the most important of the range of block exemptions which form part of EU competition...more
Resale Price Maintenance Rules Apply to Members of Purchasing Cooperative -
On 29 January 2019, the German competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt, imposed a fine of €13.4 million on ZEG, a purchasing cooperative. The...more
Clothing Manufacturer Fined for Restrictions in Distribution Agreements -
On 17 December 2018, the European Commission announced a €40 million fine on clothing company Guess for imposing illegal restrictions in its...more
EU Kicks Off Review of Critical Rules on Vertical Agreements -
The EU’s 2010 “block exemption” for vertical agreements is probably the most commonly used piece of EU competition legislation in day-to-day practice. ...more
First UK Award of Follow-On Cartel Damages -
On 9 October 2018, a UK court awarded damages in a follow-on private cartel damages claim. This is the first such award by a UK court and a major development in private...more
Restrictions on Resellers’ Use of Third-Party Internet Platforms -
On 26 July 2017, Advocate General (AG) Nils Wahl of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down his opinion in the seminal Coty case concerning...more
More EU Investigations Into Licensing and Distribution Practices -
During June 2017, the European Commission launched yet more competition law investigations into licensing and distribution practices in the EU. The four...more
EU Regulators Open Pharma Pricing Investigations Focusing on Abuse of Dominance -
The European Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have both opened new investigations into alleged abuses of...more
6/2/2017
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Competition ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Member State ,
Mergers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
WhatsApp
Illegal Distribution Activities in the Spotlight Across the EU -
Online and offline distribution issues remain a key focus of competition law regulators in the EU. This has been demonstrated yet again in recent weeks,...more
European Commission Investigates Online Sales Practices -
On 2 February 2017, the European Commission (EC) announced three separate investigations into online sales practices in the EU. It will assess whether various...more
February 1, 2017 Table of Contents On 20 January 2017, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it has provisionally concluded that two suppliers of cleanroom laundry services in the UK have broken...more
First UK Director Disqualification for Competition Law Breach -
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently secured the first disqualification of a director of a company found to have infringed competition...more
On 8 November 2016, the “Autorité de la concurrence” (French competition authority) provided a stark warning about the dangers of early implementation of a transaction prior to merger control clearance. This is one type of...more
Watch the Treatment of Switzerland in Distribution Agreements -
On 29 September 2016, the Swiss Federal Administrative Court (FAC) handed down a judgment impacting any distribution agreement which could touch...more
Stand-Alone Refusal to Supply Claim Launched in UK Court -
Competition law litigation continues to develop rapidly in the UK. Companies should be aware that this can be a useful commercial weapon against competitors...more