Competition

Microsoft breached EU competition rules by tying Teams to its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 productivity product suites, according to a preliminary investigation by the European Commission. The Commission yesterday announced it had informed the tech giant of its preliminary view that Microsoft gave T

A new simplified procedure for certain media mergers is to be introduced from next month. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has said the new simplified media merger notification procedure will officially commence on Wednesday 10 April 2024.

The European Commission has alleged that Irish insulation company Kingspan provided incorrect, incomplete and misleading information during a 2021 merger investigation, raising the possibility of a significant fine. The allegations, set out in a statement of objections sent to the company today, con

An Post is unlikely to have breached competition law by only allowing retailers to sell Leap Cards if they are agents of its subsidiary PostPoint, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has concluded. However, the CCPC made a number of recommendations followings its engagement wit

The European Commission has said it is examining whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI is reviewable under EU merger rules as part of greater scrutiny of competition in the AI industry. The Commission today launched two calls for contributions on competition in virtual worlds and generative AI an

The proposed acquisition of iRadio by European radio group Bauer Media Audio has been cleared by the government. The deal had already been cleared by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) but required additional approval from the government as it is classed as a "media merger" un

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has published its strategy statement for 2024–26 — its first since gaining new enforcement powers through legislation. The strategy statement, which takes effect from 1 January 2024, sets out the four strategic goals which span th

A new regime of administrative fines for breaches of competition law — allowing the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to impose fines of up to €10 million or 10 per cent of a company's global turnover — has come into effect. The Competition (Amendment) Act 2022,

America's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 state attorneys have sued retail giant Amazon, alleging that the company is a monopolist that uses anticompetitive and unfair strategies. The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions allow it to stop rivals and sellers from lowering prices

DAC Beachcroft partner Joanne Finn and senior associate Elaine Davis consider imminent and significant changes to the Irish competition law regime. The Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 was signed into law on 29 June 2022, with the majority of its provisions commencing on 27 September 2023.

Brian McHugh has been appointed as chairperson of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Mr McHugh has served as a member of the CCPC since 2017 and has over 20 years' experience in the public sector, including 15 years in Northern Ireland's Utility Regulator.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has prevented Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision over concerns the deal would alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come. The final decisi

Apple is no longer facing an EU investigation over whether its imposition of its own in-app purchases system on app developers breaches competition law. The European Commission this week sent a revised statement of objections to Apple in relation to a complaint raised by music streaming service Spot

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has adopted a revised declaration in respect of vertical agreements and concerted practices. Under the Competition Act 2002, the CCPC is permitted to declare in writing that a specified category of vertical agreements, decisions or concerted

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has opened a public consultation on proposed revisions to its declaration in respect of vertical agreements and concerted practices. Although vertical agreements which restrict competition are prohibited under section 4 of the Competition Act