Hausfeld & Co LLP: New Lawsuit seeks damages from Google on behalf of 19.5 Million UK Android Phone users, claiming its Google Play Store charges are excessive and unlawful
Alleges Google Play Store s 30% surcharge for digital purchases is excessive and unfair
Claims the 30% surcharge breaches European and UK competition laws, at the expense of millions of loyal customers in the UK
Collective action seeks estimated damages of up to £920 million for UK users of the Google Play Store
It follows an action launched recently against Apple for similar abusive conduct in the App Store
Google systematically breaks the law and overcharges millions of UK users for apps and other purchases made on its app store the Google Play Store according to a landmark legal action brought in a UK court against the tech firm and its parent company Alphabet.
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UK Publishes Details of New Subsidy Control Regime
EU and UK Reviews of Rules on Vertical Agreements Continue Apace
European Commission Warns Against Restricting Access to Data Sharing Systems
Check Merger Control Filing Obligations Worldwide: Austria Fines Facebook
The scope and complexity of merger control filing requirements worldwide continue to increase. It is essential to carry out a full review for any acquisition, joint venture or minority investment whether it relates to a corporate entity or assets.
This was demonstrated on 7 June 2021 when the Austrian Federal Competition Authority (AFCA) announced that it is seeking agreement from the Austrian Cartel Court to impose a fine on Facebook for not filing its acquisition of GIPHY under Austrian merger control law. Facebook should have filed and waited for clearance before closing the transaction. The company has agreed to settle the investigation and pay a EUR 9.6 million fine.
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This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business.
Charles Pommiès, counsel based in Brussels, is our editor this month (learn more about Charles in our Q&A feature at the end of our newsletter). He has selected:
General
European Commission drives home risks of procedural merger control breaches with fine on Sigma-Aldrich
New Spanish law allows for more effective antitrust enforcement
German court allows lump-sum damages clauses in private follow-on actions
Court confirms long reach of UK merger control jurisdiction
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UK Court: Post-Termination Restrictions in Franchise Agreement Unenforceable
UK Court Eases Requirements for Finding Abuse of Dominance
UK Subsidy Regime Begins to Take Shape
Buyer Beware: Court Confirms Wide Scope of UK Merger Control Jurisdiction
The extremely wide jurisdictional coverage of the UK merger control rules was confirmed in a recent appeal judgment by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) following a decision originally taken by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The CMA blocked Sabre’s proposed acquisition of Farelogix. Among other products and services, Sabre and Farelogix supply software solutions which help airlines sell flights via travel agents, including those that operate online.
BBC News
Published
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Millions of Apple s UK customers should be compensated for breaches of competition law, a legal action claims.
The case, filed with the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), alleges Apple s 30% commission on app sales is an abuse of dominance and unlawful.
Organisers are aiming to include nearly 20 million UK users in the collective action, if it is approved.
Those behind the claim say they intend to seek damages of up to £1.5bn. Apple said the legal action was meritless .
Collective action
While the UK does not have the same kind of class-action legal structure as the US, so-called optout claims have been allowed in the CAT since 2015, meaning all affected people could be covered unless they decide to exclude themselves.