Predatory pricing laws address a central tension in competition policy: low prices often benefit consumers, yet they may also be used to eliminate rivals and distort competitive markets. Distinguishing vigorous competition from unlawful exclusion requires careful economic and legal analysis. A predatory pricing claim commonly turns on whether prices fall below an appropriate cost measure, … Read more
Tying and bundling practices can shape consumer choice, market access, and competitive conditions across many industries. While combined offerings may create convenience and efficiencies, they may also allow firms with market power to extend their influence into adjacent markets. Competition law therefore examines whether a customer is effectively required to purchase one product to obtain … Read more
Market share thresholds play a central role in competition law because they offer an initial indication of market power, commercial influence, and potential competitive risk. Yet a percentage is meaningful only when measured within a properly defined relevant market. In abuse of dominance, merger control, and commercial agreements, market share thresholds may create presumptions or … Read more
Horizontal and vertical mergers can reshape markets, alter competitive conditions, and attract close scrutiny under competition law. While mergers may generate efficiencies, they can also strengthen market power, limit choice, or weaken incentives to innovate. The legal assessment depends heavily on the relationship between the merging parties. Horizontal and vertical mergers raise distinct concerns, from … Read more
Market definition in antitrust is a central tool for assessing whether a business possesses market power and whether particular conduct may restrict competition. It establishes the commercial boundaries within which competitive pressure is evaluated. By identifying the products, services, and geographic areas that provide meaningful alternatives, competition authorities can assess mergers, exclusionary practices, and market … Read more
Price discrimination occurs when a seller charges different prices to competing purchasers for comparable goods or services. In competition law, the practice can distort market conditions, disadvantage rivals, and expose businesses to substantial legal risk. Price discrimination laws seek to distinguish legitimate commercial flexibility from pricing conduct that harms competition. Their application depends on factors … Read more
Competition law protects the competitive process, not merely individual competitors. Unfair methods of competition arise when business conduct distorts market conditions through deception, exclusion, misappropriation, or the improper use of market power. Determining whether conduct is unlawful requires more than identifying aggressive commercial behavior. Courts and regulators consider its purpose, market context, competitive effects, and … Read more
Misuse of market power lies at the centre of competition law because powerful firms can shape prices, access, innovation, and consumer choice. Market success is not unlawful; concern arises when power is used to suppress competitive pressure rather than compete on merit. Assessing misuse of market power requires careful analysis of the relevant market, the … Read more
The regulation of dominant firms is a central concern of competition law because substantial market power can shape prices, innovation, consumer choice, and access to essential commercial opportunities. Dominance itself is not unlawful. Legal intervention generally arises where a powerful firm uses its position to exclude rivals or distort competition, requiring careful assessment of markets, … Read more
Competition authorities are central to the proper functioning of modern markets. By supervising conduct that restricts rivalry, they help prevent businesses from using market power to distort prices, limit choice, or exclude competitors unfairly. The role of competition authorities extends from investigating cartels and abuse of dominance to reviewing mergers and cooperating with regulators. Their … Read more