The European Commission (EC) has published a draft revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and Vertical Guidelines (the Guidelines) for public consultation. The draft revised VBER and Guidelines are an important...more
Proposal for the Digital Services Act - The long-awaited update to the e-Commerce Directive proposes new obligations for online platforms and changes to the ‘safe harbours’ from liability for infringing content. On 15...more
Awaited with bated breath by stakeholders in the online industry and by IP right holders alike, the EU Commission published its official draft for the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA is conceived as one of the central...more
The regulation is part of the EU Digital Single Market strategy to harmonise digital rights. From 12 July 2020, the EU’s Platform-to-Business Regulation 2019/1150 (P2B Regulation) promoting fairness and transparency for...more
In 2019, the Council of the European Union’s Committee of Permanent Representatives approved a Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market to respond to developments in the modes and markets for creation, production...more
The European Union’s highest court will have another opportunity to consider the issue of the liability of online platforms for copyright infringing content uploaded and shared by users. Two referrals from national courts...more
Online platforms currently represent a fundamental element of digital commerce and the increasing use of intermediation services – such as online e-commerce market places...more
We had been following on this blog the heated debates around the proposed EU Copyright Directive. These debates now belong to history since on March 27, 2019, the European parliament adopted the Directive with 348 votes...more
“Geo-blocking” is the practice whereby traders operating in a country block or limit access to their online interfaces, such as websites or apps, by customers from other countries wishing to engage in cross-border...more
From 3 December 2018, businesses who sell either B2B or B2C within the EU will have to comply with the EU Geo-Blocking Regulation. The Regulation will have both economic and procedural implications for any trader which sells...more
In the European Commission’s plan to create a unified Digital Single Market, the measures to promote e-Commerce are well ranked....more
On 24th July 2018 the EU Commission passed a decision to enforce the competition rules in yet another case involving the e-commerce sector. This time it fined a number of leading consumer electronics groups including Denon &...more
The UK Government's White Paper sets out detailed proposals for the UK's relationship with the EU following Brexit. As described in our dissection of the document as a whole, the White Paper sees the digital economy as an...more
The increasing importance of the internet has caused EU and US antitrust regulators to look closely at a range of trading policies including restrictions on internet sales, geo-blocking, use of on line platforms, MFN clauses...more
The UK Government’s White Paper sets out detailed proposals for the UK’s relationship with the EU following Brexit. As described in our dissection of the document as a whole, the White Paper sees the digital economy as an...more
In a nutshell: As part of the DSM strategy, the Commission has recently published a series of new proposals impacting platforms and ISPs, including a Recommendation on tackling illegal content online and a draft Regulation on...more
Lights Back On: Territorial Limits in EU Cartel Damages Claims - The Court of Appeal has ruled that iiyama's 1bn EUR cartel damages claims, against the participants of the cathode ray tube ("CRT") market and liquid...more
The Digital Single Market, as pushed forward with increasing speed by the European institutions, does not end with the click of a “purchase” icon. Goods ordered and bought online need to find their way to the purchaser, be it...more
The European Commission has been closely following the developments in e-commerce. As more and more goods and services are sold online, the Commission finds itself inevitably drawn into regulating the competition rules in...more
In anticipation of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the European Commission has released a Notice to Stakeholders on the impact of Brexit on the incoming rules on geo-blocking (the “Notice“)....more
Summary - As part of the EU’s Digital Single Market initiative, the European Commission has been working to identify potential competition concerns affecting European e-commerce markets. The Commission suspects that...more
Some time ago now, the European Commission launched an initiative to improve transparency and regulate the cross-border parcel delivery sector as part of its aspiration to create a real Digital Single Market. Clearly, no...more
The new provision on the banning of unjustified geoblocking in online sales is at the heart of the EU Commission’s aspiration and effort to create a real Digital Single Market within the European Union....more
The new EU geo-blocking regulation prohibits unjustified geo-blocking. Businesses selling online should review carefully their terms and sales organization to ensure compliance. On 27 February 2018, the European Union (EU)...more
The new provision on the banning of unjustified geoblocking in online sales is at the heart of the EU Commission’s aspiration and effort to create a real Digital Single Market within the European Union. ...more