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Settlements are a frequently used means of efficiently terminating proceedings, not only in cartel cases but also in other antitrust proceedings. The EU Commission can avoid having to spend resources on a time-consuming investigation and there are advantages for the companies concerned as well: In the administrative proceedings, they can propose remedies (commitments) themselves and – subject to the Commission's approval – avoid without much noise the finding of an infringement. The Broadcom case (AT.40608) is a recent example. However, there cannot always be a happy ending. In a seminal ruling (not yet available in English), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) overturned on December 9, 2020 a decision of the lower instance and declared a settlement between US film studio Paramount and the EU Commission null and void – with far-reaching implications not only for the parties to the dispute.