Nurofen’s producer fined £3.6 million for their misleading marketing

Nurofen’s British producer, Reckitt Benckiser, has been fined 3.6 million pounds after it was found that they had misled customers with Nurofen Specific Pain products.

In December 2015, courts found the pharmaceutical manufacturer to be involved in “misleading conduct” by representing that Nurofen Specific Pain products targeted a specific area.
Read More

Monitoring project of anti-competitive pricing in online travel agents sector

Following the closure of the investigation into online travel agents’ pricing practices in the hotel online booking sector in September 2015, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has since continued to monitor the industry closely.

The investigation was first launched in September 2010 where there was a suspected breach of Chapter I of the U.K. competition law (the Competition Act) in the hotel online booking sector. The investigation looked into whether there were restrictions in agreements made between InterContinental Hotels Group and Hotel InterContinental London Limited and each of Booking.com and Expedia.

It was alleged that both Booking.com and Expedia entered into agreements with InterContinental Hotels Group which had the ability of restricting online travel agents to discount price of room-only hotel accommodation.
Read More

Unfair funfair for fairgoers! CMA targets Funfair business!

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has recently issued a statement of objections to the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain, a trade association for the travelling funfair business, for its alleged anti-competitive practices.

The Guild’s 127-year-old carnival rules have allegedly protected their own Guild showmen from competition and reduced the chances for potential new attractions to join fairs. This could potentially limit free choice of millions of fairgoers as well as deprive them of access to improved rides and attractions. This could also hinder the fairgoers value for money as a lack of competition can mean a hike in prices.
Read More

U.S. poultry producers subject to multiple lawsuits for alleged anti-competitive behaviour

Tyson Foods are subject to anti-competitive lawsuits for alleged poultry price-fixing and collusion in America.

Being the world’s second largest processor of poultry, competition regulation is especially necessary to ensure they’re not making a monopoly and adversely affecting the markets.
Read More

CMA’s investigation into the pharmaceutical industry for its steep price increase

Pharmaceutical companies are being investigated over ‘unacceptable and unethical’ price hikes.

The health department spokesman said that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are carrying out five investigations into the pharmaceutical and health sector.
Read More

Steel water tank suppliers fined a total of £2.6 million for anti-competitive practices

The U.K. competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has issued two decisions imposing fines on three suppliers in the steel tank industry for anti-competitive practices. The companies involved are: Franklin Hodge Industries Ltd; Galglass Ltd; Kondea Water Supplies Ltd; and CST Industries (U.K.) Ltd.

The civil investigation, which has been ongoing since 2012, has finally come to a head with The CMA satisfied that suppliers of galvanised steel tanks have infringed U.K. and EU competitions laws.
Read More

Enforcement investigation launched in the secondary ticketing sector

The Office of Fair Trading (the U.K.’s former competition watchdog) launched an investigation into the secondary ticketing market back in 2012. As a result of the investigation, four secondary ticket sellers gave undertakings to the current competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Now, the CMA has recently launched an enforcement investigation to see whether the sector are complying with consumer protection laws.
Read More

Offering discounts can amount to breach of competition laws in the Pharmaceutical industry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation in December 2015 for a suspected breach of EU and U.K. competition laws in the pharmaceutical industry.

The CMA are looking at whether an unnamed pharmaceutical company has abused a dominant market position by offering discounts on products, which may have breached Chapter II of the Competition Act (CA), and Article 102 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
Read More

Director has been disqualified for five years for infringement of Competition law

This case shows the range of powers of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Recently, the CMA managed to secure the disqualification of a director who breached competition law.

Daniel Aston, a former director of Trod Limited, infringed the Competition Act from March 2011 to July 2015 by making an anti-competitive agreement with GB Eye Limited. The agreement detailed that both companies wouldn’t offer to sell licensed sport and entertainment posters and frames for a lower cost than the other.

This is a clear breach of fair competition rules.
Read More

“Leased line charges to be reviewed by the CMA” – CityFibre and TalkTalk appeals to the CAT

The Competition and Markets Authority has recently opened a case to investigate the prices that BT charges in providing lease line services to other telecom providers.

Two telecom providers – CityFibre and TalkTalk – have appealed to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) following an Ofcom decision in their three-year Business Connectivity Market Review (BCMR).
Read More