On December 3, 2020, the French competition authority (“FCA”) imposed a fine of €226,000 on Dammann Frères (“Dammann”), a producer of gourmet tea, for imposing resale prices on its online retailers.
New Investigative Power for the French Competition Authority to Access Telephone Communications Data
Decree n°2019-1247 of November 28, 2019, published in the Official Journal of the French Republic on November 29, 2019 (the “Decree”), provides the procedural framework for the FCA’s new power to access telephone communications data for the purpose of antitrust investigations under Article L. 450-3-3 of the French Commercial Code. This framework was introduced by the Pacte Law [1] and allows the FCA to request access to technical information regarding the identity of a caller, the telecommunication terminals used, the data, time, and duration of each call, and the phone numbers called. It will be operational as soon as the Data Request Supervisor (“contrôleur des demandes de données de connexion”) is appointed (the Supervisor will be appointed among the judges of the French Administrative or Civil Supreme Court).[2]
The French Supreme Court Reiterates That During Dawn Raids the Legal Privilege Is Only Applicable To Attorney-client Communications Which Concern the Exercise of the Rights of Defence
On November 25, 2020, the French Supreme Court ruled that attorney-client communications could not be seized during dawn raids provided they are related to the exercise of the client’s rights of defence.
The French Competition Authority Finds That Intra- Group Bids to a Tender No Longer Fall Within the Ambit of Competition Law
The Paris Court of Appeals Confirms the French Competition Authority Decision Imposing Interim Measures on Google To Protect Copyright-related Rights of Online News Publishers
On October 8, 2020,[1] the Paris Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal brought by Google against an interim measures decision issued by the FCA on April 9, 2020 in favor of publishers unions Syndicats des éditeurs de la presse magazine and Alliance de la presse d’information générale, and news agency Agence France Presse.[2] It thereby approved the FCA’s third interim order against the tech giant in a decade. Pending the FCA’s decision on the merits, the Court of Appeals’ order addresses Google’s refusal to engage in negotiations with news publishers and agencies to determine an adequate remuneration for the exploitation of their copyright-related rights.
The French Competition Authority Consults on Commitments Offered by Carrefour/Tesco in Joint Purchasing Agreement Investigation
Following various investigations in the retail sector,[1] the FCA opened another investigation to assess the joint purchasing agreement concluded in August 2018 between Carrefour and Tesco.[2] In this context, in October 2020, the FCA received commitment proposals from the two distributors, redefining the scope of their cooperation on private labels.
The General Court Partially Annuls European Commission Decisions Ordering French Supermarkets Dawn Raids
On October 5, 2020, the General Court partially annulled three European Commission decisions ordering French supermarket groups Casino and Intermarché to submit to unannounced inspections.1[1]The General Court found that the Commission did not have sufficiently strong evidence to suspect one of the alleged infringements and had therefore breached the dawn raided companies’ right to the inviolability of the home.
The French Tribunal Des Conflits Confirms the Jurisdiction of the Paris Court of Appeals To Rule on Confidentiality Waivers in Public Versions of French Competition Authority Decisions
On October 5, 2020, the French Tribunal des Conflits confirmed that the Paris Court of Appeals had jurisdiction to rule on the appeal lodged by Google against an FCA interim measures decision, in which Google alleged that the FCA had breached its right to the protection of business secrets by publishing information that had previously been granted confidential treatment by the investigation services.[1]
The French Cour de Cassation Upholds the Paris Court of Appeals’ Judgment in the TDF Abuse of Dominance Case
On September 16, 2020, the French Cour de cassation upheld the Paris Court of Appeals’ judgment, which had largely confirmed the French Competition Authority’s (the “FCA”) decision in the TDF case.
The Cour de Cassation Quashes the Paris Court of Appeals’ Decision in the SFR/Orange Case on the Fixed Telephony Market for Secondary Homes for the Second Time
On September 16, 2020, the French Cour de cassation annulled a judgment of the Paris Court of Appeals for the second time in the saga between SFR and Orange. While the Cour de cassation confirmed the existence of a relevant market for fixed telephony for secondary homes, on which Orange is dominant, it ruled that the Paris Court of Appeals had failed to properly assess Orange’s allegedly abusive conduct.