Category: competition

The Court of Appeal considers FRAND: Unwired Planet v Huawei – NIPC Law

Posted October 30th, 2018 in appeals, competition, EC law, injunctions, licensing, news, patents by sally

‘FRAND stands for “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory”. It is an acronym to describe the terms upon which licences should be granted for standard essential patents (“SEPs”). SEPs are patents for inventions that are crucial for compliance with a technical standard. I attempted an introduction to FRAND terms and SEPs in FRAND on 8 Oct 2017. Lord Kitchin gave a much better one in the first five paragraphs of his judgment in Unwired Planet International Ltd and Another v Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Another [2018] EWCA Civ 2344 (23 Oct 2018).’

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NIPC Law, 28th October 2018

Source: nipclaw.blogspot.com

Patents: multiple FRAND terms possible, says UK court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 24th, 2018 in appeals, competition, EC law, injunctions, licensing, news, patents, telecommunications by tracey

‘It is possible for more than one set of proposed licensing terms for standard-essential patents (SEPs) to be fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND), the Court of Appeal in London has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 24th October 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Neuberger and Grieve join legal regulation review – Legal Futures

Posted October 3rd, 2018 in competition, legal services, news, regulations by sally

‘The former president of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, and former Attorney General Dominic Grieve are on the advisory panel for an independent review of the regulatory framework for legal services.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd October 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Consumer loyalty ‘rip off’ faces probe – BBC News

Posted September 28th, 2018 in competition, consumer protection, insurance, mortgages, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘The accusation that loyal customers are being “ripped off” for mobile, broadband, savings, home insurance and mortgage deals is to be investigated by the competition body.’

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BBC News, 28th September 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Markets watchdog investigates rise of DIY funeral directors – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 12th, 2018 in burials and cremation, competition, news by tracey

‘The rise of DIY funeral directors is being investigated by the Competitions and Markets Authority, as traditional parlours have been hit by the growth of online competitors.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th September 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Anchoring claims to a UK subsidiary – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted September 7th, 2018 in civil procedure rules, competition, domicile, EC law, jurisdiction, news, subsidiary companies by tracey

‘The recent decision of the High Court in Vattenfall AB v Prysmian SpA [2018] EWHC 1694 (Ch) is another example of claimants being allowed to use non-addressee English subsidiaries as anchor defendants for their competition damages claims. It is also another example of the court considering but not actually having to decide the interesting legal points around attribution of liability which potentially arise in such cases.’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 7th September 2018

Source: competitionbulletin.com

Exclusive: “Competition in law is fierce but not working for consumers” – Legal Futures

Posted September 3rd, 2018 in competition, legal services, news by sally

‘The fact that there is a lot of competition in the legal market does not mean it is working well for consumers, the chair of the Legal Services Consumers Panel says in her first interview.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd September 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Competition watchdog to scrutinise merger of Sainsbury’s and Asda – The Guardian

Posted August 24th, 2018 in competition, mergers, news by sally

‘The competition watchdog has launched a formal investigation into whether the proposed £12bn merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda could hurt consumers and the small businesses that supply the supermarkets.’

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The Guardian, 23rd August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Celebrities and social media stars under the spotlight for hidden endorsements – Technology Law Update

Posted August 21st, 2018 in advertising, competition, consumer protection, news by sally

‘UK enforcement watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority is opening an investigation into whether social media stars are being open about paid-for endorsements.’

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Technology Law Update, 20th August 2018

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

Social media celebrities under investigation by business watchdog – The Guardian

Posted August 17th, 2018 in advertising, competition, internet, news, remuneration by sally

‘Celebrities who promote products on social media are under investigation by the competition watchdog amid concerns they are not making it clear when they have been paid to do so.’

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The Guardian, 16th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Royal Mail fined record £50m by Ofcom – BBC News

Posted August 14th, 2018 in appeals, competition, fines, news, postal service by sally

‘The fine is for its actions in 2014 when Whistl, which was then known as TNT, was trying to become its first competitor in wholesale mail delivery.’

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BBC News, 14th August 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BSB and Bar Council warn about risks of online barrister reviews – Legal Futures

Posted July 3rd, 2018 in barristers, competition, complaints, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

‘The Bar Standards Board has warned consumers about the risks of choosing a barrister based on online reviews, while telling the profession that it needs to watch this fast-growing area.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd July 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

How to tell if your joint venture breaks competition law – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 20th, 2018 in competition, joint ventures, news by sally

‘Joint ventures can vary enormously in terms of their scope and nature and be pro-competitive and justified, but as businesses increasingly look to collaborate to innovate, the agreements are coming in for greater scrutiny from competition authorities.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 18th June 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Competition watchdog launches investigation into Sainsbury’s-Asda merger – The Independent

Posted May 18th, 2018 in competition, mergers, news by tracey

‘The Competition and Markets Authority said it will be considering whether the merger could result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the UK for goods or services.’

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The Independent, 18th May 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ofcom to investigate Trinity Mirror deal to buy Express and Star – The Guardian

Posted May 2nd, 2018 in competition, media, mergers, news by tracey

‘Trinity Mirror’s £200m deal to buy the Express and Star newspapers is to be investigated by media regulator Ofcom over issues including plurality and the editorial independence of Richard Desmond’s titles.’

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The Guardian, 1st May 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Considerations for care homes on the charging of fees after death – Family Law

Posted March 8th, 2018 in care homes, competition, consultations, elderly, fees, news by tracey

‘In the first of a regular Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) column for Family Law Claire Davis, Director of SFE, considers the issue of care homes charging fees after death.’

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Family Law, 5th March 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Regulator begins new sector-focused crackdown on cartels – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 28th, 2018 in competition, construction industry, financial regulation, news, whistleblowers by sally

‘The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will target “industries that are at a greater risk of cartels forming” as part of a new campaign to crack down on anti-competitive behaviour.’

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OUT-LAW.com, February 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Energy price cap: Government to introduce legislation to limit how much power firms can charge – The Independent

Posted February 26th, 2018 in competition, energy, news by tracey

‘A bill introducing an energy cap for 11 million households across Britain will be introduced to Parliament today. The Government claims the Domestic Gas and Electricity Bill, which will allow the regulator Ofgem to limit tariffs until 2020, could save people up to £100 a year.’

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The Independent, 26th February 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Auctions for 4G and 5G spectrum imminent following Court of Appeal ruling – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 16th, 2018 in appeals, competition, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Formal bidding for spectrum identified as central to ‘4G’ and future ‘5G’ services in the UK is set to commence after the Court of Appeal rejected a legal challenge against the rules set for the auction.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th February 2018

Source: www.out-law.com

Gambling companies must end misleading ‘free bet’ offers, competition watchdog warns – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 2nd, 2018 in competition, consumer protection, gambling, news by sally

‘Gambling companies must end misleading online ‘free bet’ offers or face action, the competition watchdog has warned.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk