Competition watchdog attacks UK cloud storage providers – The Guardian

Posted May 27th, 2016 in competition, consumer protection, contracts, internet, news by tracey

‘Cloud storage providers are treating customers unfairly and risk users losing access to their photos and other personal possessions, the competition regulator said. An investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority found providers offered contract terms and practices that could breach consumer law.’

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The Guardian, 27th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

State aid ruling will help inform future investment of public funds, say experts – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 25th, 2016 in appeals, competition, EC law, loans, local government, news, sport, state aids by sally

‘A recent ruling by the Court of Appeal in London will help public bodies invest public funds into business ventures without breaching state aid rules.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd May 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

FCA warns banks on use of anti-money laundering rules to close accounts – The Guardian

Posted May 25th, 2016 in banking, charities, competition, EC law, fines, money laundering, news by sally

‘UK banks have been told by the City regulator they should not use anti-money laundering rules as an excuse to close accounts for charities, politicians and other clients just because they perceive them as risky.’

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The Guardian, 24th May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Competition watchdog objects to Land Registry sell-off – The Guardian

Posted May 24th, 2016 in competition, consultations, data protection, land registration, news by sally

‘The competition watchdog has objected to government plans to privatise the Land Registry, warning that allowing a private firm to take possession of property ownership information could cause problems for other businesses.’

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK competition authorities to be given ‘more powers’ – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 23rd, 2016 in auditors, bills, competition, consultations, EC law, enforcement, news by sally

‘Competition authorities in the UK are to be given new powers to combat anti-competitive behaviour, according to plans set out in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th May 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

EE gets Three’s muppet ad banned over ‘undisputed’ reliability claim – The Independent

Posted May 11th, 2016 in advertising, competition, complaints, inquiries, news, telecommunications by sally

‘A Muppet-themed ad by mobile phone provider Three has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after rival EE complained over its claim to be the “undisputed” most reliable network.’

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The Independent, 11th May 2016

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Infants in Arms – Do babies pay their way? – 4 KBW

Posted April 26th, 2016 in airlines, children, competition, EC law, news, regulations by sally

‘In two recent decisions, the County Court at Liverpool has held that infants carried in the arms of another passenger were not themselves fare-paying passengers, but had in fact travelled for free. As a consequence, the infants were not eligible for the fixed compensation available to fare-paying passengers under the Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 (“the Regulation”).’

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4 KBW, 22nd April 2016

Source: www.4kbw.net

Third ‘fast track’ abuse of dominant position claim filed with Competition Appeal Tribunal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 19th, 2016 in appeals, competition, Law Society, news, tribunals by sally

‘A third claim alleging anti-competitive behaviour using a new ‘fast track’ procedure has been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), showing a “pattern” of such cases beginning to emerge, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th April 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

The UK Competition Regime and the CMA – OUP Blog

Posted April 19th, 2016 in competition, enforcement, fines, mergers, news, reports by sally

‘On 5 February 2015, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report entitled ‘The UK Competition Regime’. The report assesses the performance of the UK competition regulators, focusing on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). It concludes that the CMA has inherited certain strengths, including a positive legacy of merger and market investigation work. However, it has also inherited problems in competition enforcement, which derive, according to the NAO, from a difficult legal environment, very low business awareness of the organisation and competition law more broadly, and reputational damage caused by a series of high profile losses in court.’

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OUP Blog, 19th April 2016

Source: http://blog.oup.com

UK competition authority to review the way it conducts market investigations – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 18th, 2016 in banking, competition, energy, enforcement, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK is to review the way it conducts market investigations, it has announced.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th March 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

CMA relaunches merger inquiry into acquisition of three supermarkets- six months after clearance – Zenith Chambers

Posted February 24th, 2016 in competition, EC law, inquiries, mergers, news by sally

‘The CMA is investigating grocer Netto’s completed acquisition of three stores from Co-Operative Group. The announcement of a fresh UK merger control investigation comes in the wake of the CMA’s July 2015 clearance of the transaction and after learning that it should have been notified to the European Commission under the EU Merger Regulation.’

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Zenith Chambers, 5th February 2016

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Real Estate Developer Challenges Tesco in Competition Appeal Tribunal – Zenith Chambers

Posted February 24th, 2016 in competition, news, restrictive covenants by sally

‘A property developer has brought proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) alleging that a 1997 land agreement with Tesco is in breach of competition law.’

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Zenith Chambers, 23rd February 2016

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Challenging Government Decisions a Pain in the Neck – Henderson Chambers

‘On 11 December 2015, Cranston J gave Judgment in Speed Medical Examination Services Limited v Secretary of State for Justice [2015] EWHC 3585 (Admin). Cranston J held that the Defendant’s reforms in respect of the system for obtaining medical reports in whiplash cases was not open to challenge on grounds of irrationality or its purported anticompetitive effects.’

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Henderson Chambers, 3rd February 2016

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Illegal counterfactuals: bringing in new claims by the backdoor? – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted February 24th, 2016 in banking, competition, damages, illegality, news, utilities by sally

‘It is fairly well-established in competition cases that the hypothetical counterfactual – which, for the purposes of causation, posits what the situation would have been absent any breach of competition law – cannot contain unlawful elements: see e.g. Albion Water Ltd v Dwr Cymru [2013] CAT 6. In a normal case, C will claim damages, arguing – let’s say – that D abused a dominant position by imposing discriminatory prices. D defends the claim on the basis that, absent any abuse, it would have set prices at a certain (high) level. C replies that those prices too would have been discriminatory – i.e. the counterfactual is inappropriate.’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 24th February 2016

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

BSB publishes its response to the CMA legal services market study’s statement of scope – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 8th, 2016 in barristers, competition, legal services, licensing, news by tracey

‘The BSB is pleased to make public its response to the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA’s) “Statement of Scope” for its legal services market study.’

Full response

Bar Standards Board, 5th February 2016

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

City law firms charging up to £1,100 an hour – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2016 in competition, costs, fees, law firms, news by tracey

‘Partners at top City law firms are charging clients more than £1,000 an hour, according to a Conservative thinktank which condemns fee rises for restricting access to justice.’

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The Guardian, 5th February 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK consults on further changes to competition compensation law – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 1st, 2016 in compensation, competition, consultations, damages, EC law, limitations, news by tracey

‘It will become easier for victims of competition law breaches to claim compensation when the EU Damages Directive comes into force in December.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th January 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

LSB to encourage comparison websites to enter the law and challenge regulators over practising fees – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Board (LSB) is set to make encouraging comparison sites to enter the legal market one of its goals for the next year, along with telling regulators to be clearer about how they spend the profession’s money.’

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Legal Futures, 20th January 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Asset acquisitions and mergers: Eurotunnel in the Supreme Court – Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers

Posted January 19th, 2016 in appeals, competition, mergers, news, Supreme Court, transport by sally

‘The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Eurotunnel II ([2015] UKHL 75) brings some much-needed clarity to what was becoming a rather opaque corner of the UK merger regime. It also contains statements of general principle which are bound to make it one of the most frequently-cited merger cases.’

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Competition Bulletin from Blackstone Chambers, 18th January 2016

Source: www.competitionbulletin.com

BT takeover of EE gets final Competition and Markets Authority clearance – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2016 in competition, mergers, news, telecommunications by sally

‘BT Group’s takeover of mobile phone network EE has been given final clearance by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).’

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BBC News, 15th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk