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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...
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...
Government proposes new single consolidated Consumer Bill of Rights
UK consumer laws will be merged into a single consolidated law, according to Government proposals. Currently, there are 12 statutes and Regulations, some of which overlap. The UK will also need to bring...
Sony requires PlayStation Network users to sign up to terms and conditions that waive their collective rights of redress
Sony has required its PlayStation Network users to sign up to new terms and conditions that would amount to their waiver of the right to take part in collective legal action, or so-called “class action...
Minimum 12- to 36 month gym memberships were unfair – OFT v Ashbourne Management Services, High Court
The Office of Fair Trading has successfully obtained an injunction against someone who recruited new members for their gym and health club clients. In the standard agreements that X advised their clients...
OFT points to successful impact of first abuse of dominance fines under Competition Act in Napp Pharmaceuticals case
The Competition Act 1998 came into force in 2000. Under it, the Office of Fair Trading can impose large fines and declare void arrangements that are either agreements between undertakings whose object...
European competition law defence needs to be supported by detailed evidence to avoid contract breach – A Nelson v Guna, High Court
Nelsons supplied Bach Flower Remedies. Guna had been its distributor in Italy. Their distribution agreement had included several restrictions including a ban on Guna from advertising for orders from outside...
Directors safe from company fines under Competition Act 1998 – Safeway Stores Limited & Others v Twigger & Others, Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal has ruled that, where an undertaking has been fined for a breach of the Competition Act 1998, that undertaking cannot recover the amount of the fine from those directors or employees...