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With the Patent Cliff looming and the lack of new drugs to fill the void keeping big Pharma bosses awake at night, we are seeing new strategies emerging in an attempt to off see the gloom and doom predictions...
European Commission investigates whether Apple’s arrangements with book publishers infringes EU competition law
The European Commission is investigating whether Apple’s arrangements with book publishers for the sale of e-books amount to anti-competitive agreements contrary to Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning...
Estate agent entitled to commission even if completion did not take place Foxtons v O’Reardon, High Court
Foxtons were sole agents for O’Reardon in respect of the sale of a £2.5m property. Foxtons introduced a purchaser. O’Reardon and the purchaser exchanged contracts for the sale, but the purchaser pulled...
OFT investigates pharma sector patent settlement agreements
The Office of Fair Trading has announced that it is investigating patent litigation agreements relating to paroxetine. Paroxetine is a medicine used in the treatment of disorders such as depression and...
Supreme Court says business common sense rule can be used to give most appropriate business common sense meaning and not just when one interpretation would give irrational result – Rainy Sky v Kookmin Bank, Supreme Court
Six companies had agreed to buy a ship from a shipbuilder in instalments. The buyer had agreed to do so in return for the builder providing a bank guarantee to repay those sums if the construction did...
European Commission sets out plans for 28th contract regime
The European Commission has set out its plans for the 28th contract law regime. Rather than replace national contract laws, the 28th regime would work as an alternative to a Member State’s contract laws....
OFT consults on new penalty regime of 30% of turnover for competition law breaches
The Office of Fair Trading, the UK’s competition law regulator, is consulting on proposals to revise its guidance as to the penalties for breaching the Competition Act 1998. Currently, organisations...
Chiquita plays competition law regime leniency card successfully again as European Commission goes bananas over PIG price fixing
The European Commission has fined Pacific Fruit nearly €9 million for co-ordinating prices with rival banana importer, Chiquita, over a nine month period in respect of imports into Portugal, Italy and...
ECJ says ban on Internet sales took selective distribution system outside of block exemption protection in EU competition law – Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique v French Competition Board, European Court of Justice
PFDC makes and markets cosmetics and personal care products under certain brands. It requires sales to be made in a physical space in the presence of a qualified pharmacist. The French Competition Board...
Jumping the gun and terminating for late performance before the contractual procedure allows leads to wrongdoer becoming the victim – Gesner v Bombardier, Court of Appeal
Gesner contracted to buy an aeroplane from Bombardier. The contract provided that Gesner could invoke the termination clause if there was a 90 day period of non-excusable delay in delivery. The plane was...