Marcus Pollard, Rosario Maria Rende Granata, Nov 22, 2012
As the European Commission is set to accept an offer by Apple and four book publishers to end an antitrust investigation and avoid fines, Marcus Pollard and Rosario Maria Rende Granata (Linklaters LLP) introduce us to the specifics of the EU e-books case. They explain both the background to the case and the Article 9 proposed commitments.
The antitrust investigations on both sides of the Atlantic focused into a series of agreements between five international publishers and Apple regarding the pricing of e-books. The “agency model” (whereby the publishers were to set the prices themselves, without any influence by retailers) and the MFN clauses (whereby Apple was to de facto enjoy the lowest price on the market undercutting other retailers, e.g. Amazon) adopted by those agreements were considered anticompetitive. Against the backdrop of a settlement with the DOJ, four of the publishers and Apple have offered to the European Commission similar commitments as agreed in the US. The article particularly analyses the EU regulator’s choice of taking an Article 9 decision in this case as well as the policy conclusions to be drawn by such choice.
Interested in viewing how the authors put the EU e-books investigation in context? Check out this month’s CPI Europe column!
Links to Full Content
Another chapter in the EC’s commitments policy? The e-books commitments
Featured News
UK’s Fingleton Bolsters Team with New Additions
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Britain’s Competition Regulator Clears Aviva’s Acquisition of AIG Life UK
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
White House Implements New AI Safeguards to Protect Rights and Safety
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Denver Court Sets August Date for Kroger-Albertsons Merger Showdown
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
UK Watchdog Says Fuel Retailers’ High Margins Spark Overcharging Concerns
Mar 28, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Real Estate & Antitrust
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Systematic National Evidence of Steering by Real Estate Agents
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Compliance Now! Actionable Antitrust Advice for the Residential Real Estate Industry
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
Real Estate Commissions: Some Insights from the Economics of Multi-Sided Platforms
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI
New Ideas for Promoting Real Estate Brokerage Price Competition
Mar 27, 2024 by
CPI