The EU’s second-highest court agreed with the European Commission’s 2007 findings that Telefonica charged its competition excessive prices to access its broadband network. The price squeeze forced rivals to charge inflated retail prices or loss money. The General Court rejected Telefonica’s position that commission erred. “In the absence of distortions resulting from the margin squeeze,” […]
Category Archives: EU News
Essential Patents Cannot Block Smartphones from European Markets
March 19, 2012 – 3:09 pm
The European Union’s competition chief, Joaquin Alumnia, in a speech prepared for EU lawmakers, vowed to stop mobile-device makers from using litigation over standard-essential patents to block their rivals’ smartphones and tablets from European markets. Almunia warned device makers against trying to take unfair advantage of European wireless standards’ key patents, which are “essential” to […]
EC Competition Regulator Investigates Samsung Patent Licensing, Litigation
March 2, 2012 – 3:48 pm
The European Commission is investigating whether Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. anticompetitively abused its patent rights by suing to block the sale of rival smartphones and other mobile devices based on patents that are part of wireless technology standards. The EC will focus on whether Samsung’s litigation violate EU antitrust law as well as Samsung’s irrevocable […]
Microsoft Challenges Motorola/Google’s Patent Practices in EC Competition Complaint
March 2, 2012 – 3:46 pm
Microsoft Corp. has filed a competition complaint against Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., and its soon-to-be parent Google Inc., with the European Commission, claiming that Motorola charges too much for its patents and is trying to head off sales of Microsoft products. Microsoft deputy general counsel Dave Heiner opined in a blog post that Motorola is […]
DOJ and EC Approve Google Acquisition of Motorola, Other Technology Patent Transactions
March 2, 2012 – 3:45 pm
Both the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the European Commission have approved Google Inc.’s $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. after intense scrutiny of how Google’s acquisition of Motorola’s intellectual property would give its Android operating system leverage in the wireless market. The DOJ said the licensing of vital “standard essential” […]
Court Lifts Motorola’s Infringement Injunction Against Apple’s iPad and iPhone Sales in Germany
March 2, 2012 – 3:41 pm
A temporary injunction against the sale of iPhones and iPads have been lifted on the ground that Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.’s continued insistence on the ban could run afoul of antitrust law. In December 2011, Motorola successful convinced a German court to enjoin Apple’s sales of the products on the ground that they infringed a […]
Pay-for-Delay Generic Drug Deals Decline in Europe While Numbers Rise in US
July 20, 2011 – 2:25 pm
In the EU, the number of so-called pay-for-delay settlements between brand-name drugmakers and generics companies has dropped to 3 percent of the industry’s patent settlements last year, as opposed to 10 percent in 2009. The Commission is concerned that such deals designed to delay the release of a generic drug in return for a payment […]
European Commission Proceeds in Price-Fixing Case Against Electrical Cable Makers
July 20, 2011 – 2:24 pm
The European Commission accused 12 cable makers of colluding to fix the prices of the underground and submarine power cables used in electricity grids. The commission did not name the companies it targeted, but Italy’s Prysmian, France’s Nexans, Denmark’s NKT Holding A/S, Switzerland’s ABB Ltd. and subsidiaries of General Cable Corp. of the U.S. confirmed […]
ECJ Upholds International Removals Cartel Ruling
July 1, 2011 – 11:47 am
The Court of Justice of the European Union has upheld the EC decision that competitors cartelized the Belgium international removals market. The Court, however, reduced the fine imposed on Gosselin and annuled the fine of imposed on Verhuizingen Coppens.
EC Investigates Automotive Safety Systems Companies
July 1, 2011 – 11:43 am
Suspecting anticompetitive practices, the European Commission inspected the offices of companies that supply automotive occupant safety systems, including car seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels.