The question of how "big data" should be treated in merger control and antitrust enforcement was a key issue for the European Commission and national regulators in European Union member states in 2016, with competition...more
2/1/2017
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Big Data ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Data Protection ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
EU Data Protection Laws ,
European Commission ,
Facebook ,
Federal Cartel Offices ,
France ,
French Competition Authority ,
Germany ,
Mergers ,
Privacy Concerns ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On October 21, 2016, Skadden presented a seminar titled “Antitrust Law and Policies From Brussels to Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Divide?” in Brussels. Former DG Competition Director General Sir Philip Lowe gave the keynote...more
12/19/2016
/ Brussels Regulation ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Free Movement ,
Geo-Blocking ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On May 10, 2016, the French Competition Authority and German Federal Cartel Office published “Competition Law and Data,” a joint report on big data and its implications for competition law. The paper identifies issues that...more
5/19/2016
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Big Data ,
Competition Authorities ,
EU ,
Exclusivity Clauses ,
Federal Cartel Office (the FCO) ,
French Competition Authority ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Tying ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
On January 26, 2016, Skadden’s Antitrust and Competition Group and Charles River Associates hosted the sixth annual seminar “Antitrust in the Technology Sector,” with an emphasis on policy perspectives and insights from...more
On January 20, 2016, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment reaffirming the independence of the cartel immunity and leniency regimes of the EU and member states. The ruling reasserts the obligation of...more
On December 8, 2015, the European Commission filed two Statements of Objections against U.S. semiconductor-maker Qualcomm Inc., alleging that the company had abused its dominant position in the baseband chipset market through...more
On May 6, 2015, the European Commission (Commission) launched an antitrust sector inquiry into the e-commerce sector. This sector inquiry is part of the Commission’s broader Digital Single Market Strategy, which aims inter...more
E-commerce is at the top of the European Commission’s agenda, and recent developments suggest it will remain a priority. Several European Union member states have already taken an active interest in the issue.
...more
The Dutch competition authority (the Authority for Consumers and Markets, or ACM) has issued two decisions imposing fines on private equity firms for the participation of their portfolio company in the so-called flour cartel....more
Developments in the past year are likely to affect nonmerger antitrust enforcement in the European Union in 2015 and beyond. In addition to merger enforcement, antitrust activity in 2014 provided a number of interesting...more
US: Continuation of Aggressive Review and Enforcement -
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) further embraced their aggressive approach to merger...more
1/28/2015
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
AT&T ,
Berkshire Hathaway ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
DirectTV ,
Divestiture ,
EU ,
EUMR ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gun-Jumping ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
SierraPine ,
Strategic Enforcement Plan ,
Threshold Requirements
On 10 November 2014, the Council of Ministers of the European Union adopted the long-awaited directive on rules governing private antitrust damage actions (Damages Directive or Directive). Although the text still needs to be...more
On July 9, 2014, the European Commission published its proposal (White Paper) outlining the approach it intends to adopt with respect to the application of the EU Merger Regulation (EUMR) to the acquisition of minority...more
In a long-awaited judgment issued on June 12, 2014, the General Court upheld in its entirety the European Commission’s May 13, 2009, decision imposing a fine of €1.06 billion ($1.5 billion) on Intel for abusing a dominant...more
On April 17, 2014, the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved the European Commission’s proposal for a directive on private antitrust damages actions (the Directive). The Directive is intended to facilitate antitrust...more
On March 18, 2014, representatives of the European Commission (the Commission), the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached a compromise in relation to key provisions of the proposed EU Directive on...more
U.S. and European antitrust agencies had similar enforcement priorities last year, a trend we expect to continue in 2014. Nonmerger enforcement will continue to focus on intellectual property, financial services and...more
1/30/2014
/ Anticompetitive Agreements ,
Antitrust Conspiracies ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Litigation ,
Class Action ,
Comcast v. Behrend ,
Conspiracies ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRAND ,
FTC v Actavis ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trolls ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
SCOTUS ,
Standard Essential Patents
The European Commission (Commission) has adopted important revisions to its merger control procedures under what it characterizes as a Merger Simplification Package that will enter into force on January 1, 2014. The new rules...more
On June 20, 2013, the European Commission (Commission) launched a public consultation on a number of significant proposed changes to the EU Merger Regulation (EUMR). The proposed amendments relate to (i) the possible review...more
On June 11, 2013, the European Commission (Commission) issued a widely anticipated series of proposals designed to advance private antitrust damage and collective actions in Europe. To accomplish this, the Commission issued...more
The U.K.’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has issued a ‘government response’ or plan for reform indicating that the government will move forward with a number of substantial changes to the U.K.’s...more
If recent events are any indication, U.S. and European antitrust agencies will remain focused this year on the intersection of intellectual property and competition law. In particular, the agencies have concluded that under...more
1/30/2013
/ Acquisitions ,
Apple ,
Competition ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FRAND ,
Google ,
Infringement ,
Injunctions ,
Licenses ,
Microsoft ,
Motorola ,
Non-Practicing Entities ,
Patent Assertion Entities ,
Patent Portfolios ,
Patents ,
Samsung ,
Standard Essential Patents