On March 7, 2019, the Commission accepted the commitments offered by Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and Sky in the pay-TV investigation.[1] The Commission’s concerns related to alleged restrictions on the cross- border sale of pay-TV services in film licensing agreements between the studios and Sky UK.[2] Paramount, also part of the investigation, had already offered commitments to address the Commission’s concerns in April 2016, which the Commission accepted in July 2016.[3]
Bicycle Wholesaler Zeg Fined for Vertical Price Fixing
On January 29, 2019, the FCO imposed fines totaling €13.4 million on the bicycle wholesaler Zweirad-Einkaufs-Genossenschaft eG (“ZEG”) and its representatives for fixing resale prices with 47 bicycle retailers.
The First President of the Paris Court of Appeal Ordered a Stay of Execution Regarding Injunctions Pronounced by the French Competition Authority Against Stihl
A chainsaw manufacturer cannot force its distributors to hand-deliver its products when the sale was made online, according to the FCA decision 18-D-23 of October 24, 2018. However, the first President of the Paris Court of Appeal ordered a stay of execution regarding the FCA injunctions which required it to modify the manufacturer’s distribution agreements.
The Commission Fines MasterCard €570 Million for Hindering Merchants’ Access to Better Conditions Offered by Banks Elsewhere in the EU
As reported in our December 2018 newsletter, the Commission fined MasterCard over €570 million for limiting merchants from benefitting from better conditions offered by banks established elsewhere in the EU.[1]
FCO And FCA Close Joint Probe Into Agreement Between Ad Blocker Eyeo and Google
The FCO and the Austrian Federal Competition Authority (“FCA”) closed a joint probe of an agreement between the German-based ad blocker company Eyeo and Google after the companies had changed certain terms of their whitelisting contract.[1] Following complaints about Eyeo’s ad blocker Adblock Plus, the FCA had launched an investigation in Austria in 2013. FCO subsequently joined the proceedings in May 2016.
2018 Year-End Review: Record Amount of Competition Fines, Cartels Fines on the Decline, Increased Practice of Pull-and-Refile in Mergers
The Commission issued fines totaling €6.5 billion in 2018, which is a new record and almost double the amount of competition fines in 2017.
2018 Year-end Review: Record Amount of Competition Fines, Cartels Fines on the Decline, Increased Practice of Pull-and-Refile in Mergers
The Commission issued fines totaling €6.5 billion in 2018, which is a new record and almost double the amount of competition fines in 2017.
DCA Finally Publishes Rossmann Judgment That Significantly Increased Fine for Vertical Price Fixing
On February 28, 2018, the DCA significantly increased the fine that the FCO had imposed on drug store chain Dirk Rossmann GmbH (“Rossmann”) nearly sixfold.[1] However, at the time, the DCA only issued a press release which left ample room for speculation about the precise reasoning behind the court’s decision to increase the fine. The DCA now published a non- confidential version of its judgment that provides further insights.