Germany had its second and, for the moment, last round of hearings concerning a designation by the Bundeskartellamt under Sec. 19a para. 1 GWB! A lot of what was discussed seemed like a déjà-vu for those who have followed Amazon’s line of arguments back in April 2024. But the hardware icon Apple has also tried […]
Winners & losers: Game, set and match in Google Shopping?
Last week was the official conclusion to the Google Shopping Saga. The Court of Justice ruled that self-preferencing is indeed a stand-alone abuse by validating the theory of harm put forward by the Commission. With the ruling against Ireland in their long-running Apple state aid tax case, the week was a shining conclusion of Margrethe […]
SCiDA Summer Review: A Year of Digital Markets Act
A year of DMA: Since the first notifications of gatekeepers, one year has passed, and it‘s time – not only for the first judgement of the EU General Court on a designation appeal – but for a review of the many events since the start of DMA enforcement. What happened? How does the Commission fare? […]
Pay not OK? ‘Pay-or-consent models’ – where the GDPR, DMA and DSA meet
The news that Facebook and Instagram could become paid services sent shockwaves throughout the masses of influencers and other social media enthusiasts. Would they really have to pay a monthly fee starting at 12 euros for their daily fix of reels, posts and pictures? Fortunately for Europe’s young and trendy, the subscription model is not […]
A Report from the Courtroom: Amazon’s paramount significance for competition across markets confirmed in Germany
While most of us would have a clear intuition how to respond to the question whether the e-commerce giant Amazon has a paramount significance across markets, Amazon appealed the German Bundeskartellamt’s designation decision under Sec. 19a (1) GWB. The trial entered a second round of hearings on 23 April 2024 resulting in a dismissal of […]