Government presses ahead with plans for single competition authority – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 19th, 2012 in competition, markets, news, ombudsmen by sally

“The Government is to press ahead with its plans to merge the competition functions of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) with those of the Competition Commission (CC).”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th March 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Antitrust and Regulatory Risks in the Energy Sector – Thirty Nine Essex Street

Posted March 6th, 2012 in competition, EC law, electricity, energy, news, regulations by sally

“A review of EU action over time in creating a competitive, internal market in gas and electricity.”

Full story (PDF)

Thirty Nine Essex Street, 25th January 2012

Source: www.39essex.com

Banks could face competition probe if they do not improve service, OFT warns – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 20th, 2012 in banking, competition, consumer protection, news, speeches by sally

“The UK’s ‘big four’ lending banks could face a referral to the Competition Commission (CC) and potential break-up if they do not change their approach to consumer banking, the head of regulator the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 20th February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Ryanair Holdings Ltd v Office of Fair Trading and another – WLR Daily

Posted January 5th, 2012 in airlines, appeals, competition, law reports, limitations, news, tribunals by tracey

Ryanair Holdings Ltd v Office of Fair Trading and another; [2011] EWCA Civ 1579;  [2011] WLR (D)  392

“The Competition Appeal Tribunal Rules granted a power to suspend the running of time, with regard to an investigation by the OFT, as a matter of urgency and in order to protect the public interest.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Djanogly: Reform to solicitors to give UK consumers greater choice – Ministry of Justice

“UK consumers and businesses will find solicitors’ firms more competitive, more accessible and more efficient following new reforms to legal services. From today, radical reforms to the legal sector are being accelerated by the addition of the Solicitors Regulation Authority to the licensing authorities for the new Alternative Business Structures (ABSs).”

Full press release

Ministry of Justice, 3rd January 2011

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique SAS v Président de l’Autorité de la concurrence (Ministère public and another, interveners) (Case C-439/09) – WLR Daily

Posted December 14th, 2011 in competition, EC law, law reports, pharmacists, sale of goods by sally

Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique SAS v Président de l’Autorité de la concurrence (Ministère public and another, interveners) (Case C-439/09); [2011] WLR (D) 359

“In the context of a selective distribution system, a contractual clause requiring sales of cosmetics and personal care products to be made in a physical space where a qualified pharmacist had to be present, resulting in a ban on the use of the internet for those sales, amounted to a restriction by object within the meaning of article 101(1)FEU of the FEU Treaty where it was apparent that that clause was not objectively justified. The block exemption provided for in article 2 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2790/1999 of 22 December 1999 on the application of article 81(3) of the Treaty to categories of vertical agreements and concerted practices (OJ 1999 L336, p 21) did not apply to a selective distribution contract which contained a clause prohibiting de facto the internet as a method of marketing.”

WLR Daily, 13th December 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Private health insurance market faces investigation – Daily Telegraph

Posted December 8th, 2011 in competition, consumer protection, health, news by tracey

“The Office of Fair Trading has referred the privately funded healthcare industry to the Competition Commission after it found a number of features that prevent, restrict or distort competition in the £5bn UK private healthcare market.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th December 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Bar Council Welcomes Postponement of Competition Reforms but Urges Swift Settlement of Outstanding Advocates’ Fees – The Bar Council

Posted December 2nd, 2011 in barristers, competition, fees, press releases by tracey

“The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has welcomed much of today’s Written Ministerial Statement published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which has announced substantial postponement of the implementation of planned price-based competition for the Criminal Defence Service.”

Full press release with link to the statement

The Bar Council, 1st December 2011

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Bar Conference 2011: barristers ‘ready to strike’ over tendering plan – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 11th, 2011 in barristers, competition, criminal justice, news, tenders by tracey

“Criminal barristers will take ‘direct action’ – including withdrawing their services – if the government presses ahead with its plans for price-competitive tendering, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association has warned. Max Hill QC (pictured) said that the proposal to introduce best value tendering for the provision of publicly funded services will spell the ‘end of the bar’.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 10th November 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

OFT proposes increasing maximum fine for anti-competitive behaviour – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 1st, 2011 in competition, fines, news by sally

“Companies that act anti-competitively should face greater maximum fines, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has said.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 31st October 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Football Association Premier League Ltd and others v QC Leisure and others; Murphy v Media Protection Services Ltd – WLR Daily

Posted October 10th, 2011 in competition, EC law, law reports, licensed premises, licensing, media, sport by sally

Football Association Premier League Ltd and others v QC Leisure and others; Murphy v Media Protection Services Ltd (Joined Cases C-403/08 and C-429/08); [2011] WLR (D) 286

“The clauses of an exclusive licence agreement concluded between a holder of intellectual property rights and a broadcaster constituted a restriction on competition prohibited by article 101FEU of the FEU Treaty where they obliged the broadcaster not to supply decoding devices enabling access to that right holder’s protected subject matter with a view to their use outside the territory covered by that licence agreement.”

WLR Daily, 4th October 2011

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Barristers get green light to take ‘direct action’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 26th, 2011 in advocacy, barristers, competition, fees, news by sally

“The Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association believe it would be lawful for them to take direct action to protect members’ interests, it has emerged.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 26th September 2011

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Insurance companies face car insurance probe – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 9th, 2011 in competition, insurance, news by tracey

“The OFT has issued what it describes as a ‘call for evidence’ a preliminary step which could lead to a full scale inquiry. It is understood that the watchdog is concerned whether there is genuine competition between the major insurers in the market.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 8th September 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

OFT issues fines to companies that exchanged dairy price information – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 10th, 2011 in competition, fines, news, price fixing by sally

“Supermarkets that collaborated in attempting to drive the cost of dairy products up after exchanging price information have been fined by the UK’s competition regulator.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 10th August 2011

Source: www.out-law.com

Ryanair demands £175m from BAA over Stansted charges – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 28th, 2011 in airlines, airports, competition, news by tracey

“Ryanair is claiming a £175m rebate from BAA in an escalating row over airline charges at Stansted airport.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th July 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BAA must sell Stansted and one other airport – The Independent

Posted July 19th, 2011 in airports, competition, news by tracey

“Airport operator BAA must sell two of its UK airports, competition chiefs said today in a final ruling. BAA, which runs six UK airports including Heathrow, will have to sell Stansted followed by either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, the Competition Commission (CC) said.”

Full story

The Independent, 19th July 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Phone hacking: Rupert Murdoch forced to back down over BSkyB takeover – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 12th, 2011 in competition, media, mergers, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, wrote to Ofcom, the media regulator, and the Office of Fair Trading yesterday morning to ask whether the failure of News International, News Corp’s British newspaper arm, to properly manage the News of the World could mean the takeover should be blocked. Hours later, News Corp withdrew its proposal to spin off Sky News as a financially and editorially independent unit, which would have got the merger cleared by regulators, effectively forcing Mr Hunt to refer the bid to the Competition Commission.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th July 2011

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

National Grid sues for access to engineering cartel papers – The Guardian

Posted July 8th, 2011 in competition, disclosure, news, pleadings by tracey

“National Grid is battling in London’s high court for access to secret documents relating to its £235m cartel case against a group of Europe’s top engineering companies.”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Criminal lawyers will shudder at plans to introduce competition to legal aid – The Guardian

Posted July 8th, 2011 in competition, criminal justice, legal aid, news, tenders by tracey

“Tucked away on page 52 of the government’s response to the legal aid green paper were words that would make many criminal lawyers shudder: ‘We intend to consult on detailed proposals for introducing competition in criminal proceedings later in the year.’ ”

Full story

The Guardian, 7th July 2011

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

War of the rose: Rival breweries fight legal battle – The Independent

Posted July 6th, 2011 in competition, news, trade marks by sally

“More than 700 years after the Plantagenet’s death, his floral emblem has become the subject of a struggle as lawyers representing two neighbouring Yorkshire brewers – one large, one small – square up in the High Court to argue their claims over the right to use the symbol in what has been dubbed the civil war of the rose.”

Full story

The Independent, 6th July 2011

Source: www.independent.co.uk