Tag: Article 102 TFEU
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General Court of the EU delivers landmark Google Shopping judgment (Google and Alphabet v Commission, T-612/17)
As readers of this blog will know, on Tuesday 10 November 2021 the General Court (“GC”) delivered its judgment in case T-612/17, Google and Alphabet v Commission, largely upholding the Commission’s 2017 decision in Google Search (Shopping) (AT.39741). This is a landmark (and very aggressive) judgment and a major vindication for the Commission. By way…
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Some thoughts on the Google Android hearing before the General Court
As readers of this blog probably know, last week saw Google present before the General Court its case for annulling the Google Android decision of the European Commission (famous for the staggering amount of the fine imposed – EUR 4.3 billion). The case number is T-604/18 – Google and Alphabet v Commission. I had the…
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Google fined € 220 million by French Autorité de la concurrence for breaching competition law in ad tech; offers commitments
Yesterday, the French competition authority (“Autorité de la concurrence”) handed down a landmark decision finding that Google has breached Article 102 TFEU and the equivalent provision of French competition law through anticompetitive conduct in ad tech. The Autorité imposed on Google a fine of €220 million and rendered binding a series of commitments (“engagements”) proposed…
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The Commission’s SO to Apple and anticompetitive effects: A Rejoinder
In a recent blog post, Pablo Ibanez Colomo responded to the observations I had made on his reaction to the issuance of a Statement of Objections in the Apple music streaming case. In this post, I would like to briefly react to Pablo’s response, but also raise additional questions over the application of the so-called…
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EU sends Apple Statement of Objections (music streaming services)
Just a few days after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission released its interim report on app marketplaces finding that “Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store have significant market power in the distribution of mobile apps in Australia,” the European Commission addressed to Apple a Statement of Objections over its App Store rules for…
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New paper on the App Store shows why antitrust intervention is needed
Last April Damien and I published a paper titled “The Antitrust Case Against the Apple App Store,” where we explored various concerns raised by Apple’s App Store practices under Article 102 TFEU. We focused in particular on the obligation of apps offering “digital goods or services” (think e.g., of a game app) to use Apple’s…
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The App Store and antitrust: Lofty statements by Apple executive and academic friendly to Apple’s views don’t do the trick
On 16 June 2020, the European Commission opened formal antitrust investigations to assess whether Apple’s rules for app developers on the distribution of apps via the App Store violate EU competition rules. The Commission’s press release states that the Commission will investigate in particular two restrictions imposed by Apple in its agreements with companies that…
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The antitrust case against the Apple App Store
The Apple App Store has given rise to a thriving marketplace that connects app developers and iOS users. However, Apple has recently come under increased antitrust scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic over concerns that it uses its role as operator of the App Store to give its own apps an anticompetitive advantage. At…