Ofgem to tackle ‘complex and unfair energy bills’ – BBC News
“Regulator Ofgem has told energy firms they must offer simpler tariffs to help consumers compare prices.”
BBC News, 21st March 2011
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: competition
Competition law reform could lead to more criminal prosecutions, says expert – OUT-LAW.com
“The reforms of competition law proposed by the Government today could lead to more people being convicted of the criminal cartel offence, according to one expert.”
OUT-LAW.com, 16th March 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Merger of Competition Commission and OFT meets with muted response – The Lawyer
“Competition lawyers have offered a lukewarm response to Government proposals to streamline and improve the UK’s competition regime.”
The Lawyer, 16th March 2011
Source: www.thelawyer.com
British Telecommunications plc v Office of Communications (Hutchison 3G UK Ltd intervening) – WLR Daily
“On its true interpretation section 192(6)(a) of the Communications Act 2003 did not impose a statutory bar on the introduction of fresh evidence on an appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.”
WLR Daily, 11th March 2011
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Financial watchdogs get new powers – The Guardian
“Investors and consumers will be given greater protection by new financial watchdogs which will have the power to ban retail products and reveal pending enforcement actions against banks and brokers.”
The Guardian, 17th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Jeremy Hunt resigned to judicial challenge over BSkyB bid – The Guardian
“The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said today he expects his decision on whether to allow the proposed takeover of BSkyB by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation to be judicially challenged whatever decision he comes to.”
The Guardian, 12th January 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
OFT backs replacement of criminal penalties with civil ones – OUT-LAW.com
“Competition law and consumer watchdog the Office of Fair Trading has welcomed a legal reform proposal that would reduce its reliance on criminal law but has said that proposal should be less rigid to allow it to protect consumers.”
OUT-LAW.com, 25th Novmber 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
BCL Old Co Ltd and others v BASF SE ( formerlyBASF AG) and others (No 2) – WLR Daily
“There was no power under the Competition Appeal Tribunal Rules 2003 to extend time for bringing proceedings for follow-on damages under the Competition Act 1998.”
WLR Daily, 15th November 2010
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.
Reckitt Benckiser fined £10.2m by OFT – The Guardian
“Drug company stopped NHS doctors prescribing cheaper alternatives to its heartburn medicine Gaviscon.”
The Guardian, 15th October 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
OFT to merge with Competition Commission – OUT-LAW.com
“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to be merged with the Competition Commission (CC) in a Government bid to ‘increase the clarity’ of competition law enforcement.”
OUT-LAW.com, 14th October 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Resident who fired catapult at gang of troublemakers wins court battle – Daily Telegraph
“A vigilante resident who was sued after firing a catapult at local troublemakers has been vindicated by a judge.”
Daily Telegraph, 29th September 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
OFT launches online hotel booking probe – OUT-LAW.com
“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating whether the sale of hotel room bookings on the internet breaches competition law, looking into whether an allegedly long-established pricing mechanism is anti-competitive.”
OUT-LAW.com, 20th September 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Ofcom ‘to review’ News Corp bid for BSkyB – BBC News
“The BBC has learned that Ofcom will be asked to review News Corporation’s bid for BSkyB once a formal offer is made.”
BBC News, 15th September 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd and others v Dow Deutschland Inc and others – WLR Daily
“Once the Commission of the European Communities had found that an undertaking had participated in anti-competitive practices the undertaking to could not rely on the English domestic law concept of separate corporate entity to argue that the undertaking as a whole or a parent company in the group had not participated in those practices. Where it was alleged in a claim against the defendants that representatives of those alleged to have been party to the anti-competitive behaviour had had discussions to co-ordinate that behaviour and that those discussions had led to each of the defendants co-ordinating their anti-competitive behaviour, that was sufficient to allow the claim against the defendants to continue even if none of the defendants fined by the commission was domiciled in England.”
WLR Daily, 26th July 2010
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.
Ad watchdog clears Costa over Starbucks comparison – OUT-LAW.com
“Costa Coffee was entitled to make a claim that Starbucks drinkers preferred its coffee based on the results of a survey it carried out, regulator the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 17th June 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Competition Commission confirms ban on point-of-sale PPI – The Guardian
“Watchdog rejects appeal, saying ruling will bring more choice and cheaper rates to payment protection insurance market.”
The Guardian, 14th May 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Competition Commission clears music biz merger – OUT-LAW.com
“The Competition Commission has given the all clear to a merger between two live music companies for the second time. Its first decision in the case was quashed by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).”
OUT-LAW.com, 7th May 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Sky forced to cut price of Sports channels – Daily Telegraph
“Sky should face a cap on the amount it can charge rival broadcasters to show its premium sports channels, the media regulator said in a ruling that could herald a significant shake-up of the pay-TV market.”
Daily Telegraph, 31st March 2010
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Royal Bank of Scotland fined £28.6m for breaching competition law – The Guardian
“Royal Bank of Scotland has been fined £28.6m for breaching competition law after sharing confidential details about the pricing of its commercial loans with rival staff at Barclays.”
The Guardian, 30th March 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
