Competition Commission casts doubt on broadcasters’ online shop- OUT-LAW.com

Posted December 4th, 2008 in competition, joint ventures, media, news by sally

“The Competition Commission has provisionally concluded that a proposed joint venture among the UK’s biggest broadcasters will restrict competition in the supply of video on-demand (VOD) services in the UK.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 3rd December 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Reforms bring increased competition to the Lloyd’s insurance market – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 24th, 2008 in competition, insurance, Lloyd's, news by sally

“A restriction on Lloyd’s managing agents doing business with non-Lloyd’s brokers was lifted last week by an order modernising the way the world’s leading specialist insurance market operates.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 24th November 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Mike Pullen: ‘Companies need to take competition law seriously’ – The Times

Posted November 18th, 2008 in competition, news by sally

“DLA’s head of competition, who was born on a fairground, says that competition watchdogs will only get more active.”

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The Times, 17th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Tesco to outline case against moves to prevent larger stores dominating towns and villages – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 11th, 2008 in competition, news by sally

“Tesco bosses will outline their case against moves by the Competition Commission to prevent their larger stores dominating towns and villages.”

Full story 

Daily Telegraph, 11th November 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Devenish Nutrition Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis SA (France) and Others – Times Law Reports

Posted November 4th, 2008 in competition, law reports, restitution, statutory duty by sally

Devenish Nutrition Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis SA (France) and Others

Court of Appeal

“An account of profits could not be awarded on a claim for a nonproprietary tort.”

The Times, 4th November 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Virgin Media appeal over BSkyB’s ITV stake rejected – The Guardian

Posted October 30th, 2008 in competition, media, news by sally

“Virgin Media has had a competition tribunal appeal rejected that, if upheld, could have resulted in rival pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB being forced to sell its entire 17.9% stake in ITV.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th October 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Devenish Nutrition Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis SA (France) and others – WLR Daily

Posted October 17th, 2008 in competition, EC law, law reports, restitution, statutory duty by sally

Devenish Nutrition Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis SA (France) and others [2008] EWCA Civ 1086; [2008] WLR (D) 317

An account of profits could not be awarded on a claim for a non-proprietary tort. Community law neither prevented nor required the recognition in domestic law of a restitutionary award as a remedy for breach of statutory duty.”

WLR Daily, 16th October 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Ofcom begins inquiry into mobile telephone charges – The Times

Posted August 29th, 2008 in competition, news, telecommunications by sally

“Ofcom, the communications regulator, has begun its first full-scale inquiry into the mobile phone industry in a move that could revolutionise charging for mobile calls.”

Full story

The Times, 29th August 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Competition Commission delays web TV investigation – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 12th, 2008 in competition, joint ventures, news by sally

“The Competition Commission (CC) has extended the deadline for its investigation into a joint venture between the UK’s main broadcasters into next year. It has said that it will not be able to complete its inquiry by the initial date of 14 December.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 11th August 2008

Source: www.out-law.com

Racecourse owners cleared of cartel claim – The Times

Posted August 11th, 2008 in competition, horse racing, news by sally

“A consortium of more than half of Britain’s racecourses did not breach competition laws by forming its own breakaway television channel, a judge ruled today.”

Full story

The Times, 8th August 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Office of Fair Trading threatens banks over current account charges – The Times

Posted July 16th, 2008 in banking, competition, news by sally

“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) today threatened to report banks to the Competition Commission after finding that the current account market did not offer good value for customers.”

Full story

The Times, 16th July 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Crackdown on out-of-town superstores to protect small shops and curb ‘clone towns’ – The Independent

Posted July 11th, 2008 in competition, news, planning by sally

“Small shops are to be given some protection against competition from out-of-town supermarkets, Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary, said. She added that this would help independent shops survive the credit crunch.”

Full story

The Independent, 11th July 2008

Source: www.independent.co.uk

AC-Treuhand AG v Commission of the European Communities (Case T-99/04) – WLR Daily

Posted July 9th, 2008 in competition, EC law, law reports by sally

AC-Treuhand AG v Commission of the European Communities (Case T-99/04); [2008] WLR (D) 229

“A consultancy firm which contributed actively and intentionally to a cartel between producers which were active on a market other than that on which the firm itself operated was liable for an infringement of article 81(1)EC, even though it was not a party to the agreement between the producers.”

WLR Daily, 8th July 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

Tesco launches legal challenge to competition test – The Times

Posted July 1st, 2008 in competition, news by sally

“Tesco today launched a legal challenge against one of the key proposals of the Competition Commission’s two-year investigation into Britain’s £120 billion supermarket sector.”

Full story

The Times, 30th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Kangaroo referred to Competition Commission – The Guardian

Posted June 30th, 2008 in competition, joint ventures, media, news by sally

“The Office of Fair Trading has today referred Kangaroo – the proposed video-on-demand joint venture between BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 – to the Competition Commission.”

Full story

The Guardian, 30th June 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law firms set for merger frenzy – The Times

Posted June 17th, 2008 in competition, law firms, news by sally

“More than 100 law firms in the UK are expected to attempt a tie-up in the next year, according to a study by BDO Stoy Hayward.”

Full story

The Times, 17th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Competition Commission looks into banks’ payment protection – The Times

Posted June 6th, 2008 in banking, competition, consumer protection, insurance, news by sally

“Banks that have sold payment protection insurance (PPI) could face a wave of compensation claims after the Competition Commission said that 14 million consumers had been overcharged by an estimated £1.4 billion, or an average of £100 a year.”

Full story

The Times, 6th June 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Litigation costs uncertainty impedes access to justice, legal experts warn – The Lawyer

Posted May 12th, 2008 in competition, costs, news by sally

“Uncertainty shrouds litigation costs, which is putting obstacles in the way of access to justice, a panel of experts warned at The Lawyer’s antitrust litigation conference last week (7 May).”

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The Lawyer, 12th May 2008

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Councils consider legal action against building companies – The Times

Posted May 12th, 2008 in competition, news by sally

“Local authorities are looking into the possibility of launching legal action against building companies accused last month of cover-pricing and bid-rigging by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).”

Full story

The Times, 12th May 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Inquiry lets the big stores off hook, say local shopkeepers – The Guardian

Posted May 1st, 2008 in competition, news by sally

“Consumer groups accused the competition authorities of failing to check the power of Britain’s supermarket chains yesterday after a two-year investigation of the grocery market.”

Full story

The Guardian, 1st May 2008

Source: www.guardian.co.uk