Friday, June 27, 2014

Google is trolling the EU with passive-aggressive disclaimers on search results

Qz.com, here

IMPALA invites the European Commission to red card YouTube

ImpalaMusic.org, here

Amazon pressing for new terms in UK (retail MFN included)

Thebookseller.com, here

The right to resell ebooks — major case looms in the Netherlands

GigaOm, here

Higher Education: Creative destruction

TheEconomist.com, here

Four Lessons Libraries Can Learn From Amazon

Digitalbookworld.com, here

Leistungsschutzrecht: Verlage legen Beschwerde beim Bundeskartellamt ein

Urheberrecht.org, hier

Patent Misuse and Antitrust: Rebirth or False Dawn?

D. Lim, here

Die Zukunft gehört Google, mein Puls gehört mir

Heise.de, hier.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Guidance on Alice

USPTO, here.

Confidential information exchange in competition cases: perception versus reality in the EU and US

V. Demedts, here

Into the Parallel Universe: Procedural Fairness in Private Litigation After the Damages Directive

C. Jones, here

The Fairness Debate in the U.S.

B. Foer, here

Competition law enforcement: administrative versus judicial systems

D. Zimmer, here

Was kosten E-Books wirklich?

Boersenblatt.net, hier

Searching for a Modernized Voice: Economics, Institutions and Predictability in European Competition Law

D. Gerber, here

Draft extended collective licensing regulations been laid before UK Parliament

Aereo reversed

Here. Opinion for the Court delivered by Breyer, Scalia dissenting.

Vice-President Reding welcomes U.S. announcement on data protection umbrella agreement

EC Press Release, here

EC adopts revised safe harbours for minor agreements ("De Minimis Notice") and provides guidance on "by object" restrictions of competition

Press Release, here.
De Minimis Notice here.
Guidance on restrictions of competition "by object" for the purpose of defining which  agreements may benefit from the De Minimis Notice here

EC fines three producers of canned mushrooms € 32 million in cartel settlement

Press Release, here

Copia privata story (senza parole)

G. Sforza, qui

UK IP Law Professors on Parody and Quotation, and Personal Copying for Private Use

Letter sent to the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committee on Secondary Legislation, here

The data retention judgment, the Irish Facebook case, and the future of EU data transfer regulation

C. Kuner, here

Will Uber destroy the driving profession?

E. Goldwyn, here

Net Neutrality and Antitrust Laws

Hearing, FCC, Video here

Science 2.0: Europe can lead the next scientific transformation

European Commission, here

Amazon responds to German antitrust complaint, says it wants a larger commission on ebooks

GigaOm.com, here

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Börsenverein reicht Beschwerde beim Bundeskartellamt gegen Amazon ein

Boersenverein.de, hier

L'Assemblée nationale se pique d'accessibilité en milieu scolaire

ActuaLitte.com, ici. 

Légifrance : gratuité des données, mais pas d'Open Data imposé

Numerama.com, ici.

Assessing the economic impacts of adapting certain limitations and exceptions to copyright and related rights in the EU

CRA for DG MARKT, here

Enclosing the public domain: The restriction of public domain books in a digital environment

A. Clark, B. Chawner, here.

Lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo de la reforma propuesta a la Ley de Derechos de Autor (Perù)

Hiperderecho.org, aquì.

Submission in response to the competition policy review issues paper

Australian Copyright Council, here. Harper Review here

Citizen Bezos

NYBooks, here.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Companies should focus on using data for innovation, as well as protecting it, finds study

Out-law.com, here

Phone maker ZTE takes antitrust angle in European patent fight

Pcworld.com, here.

Used eBook Website Launches in Europe

The-digital-reader.com, here.

Broadband Policy & Consumer Welfare: The Case for an Antitrust Approach to Net Neutrality Issues

J. Wright, here; see also here

Antitrust Award to John “Cartel Hunter” Connor

Corporatecrimereporter.com, here

Improper Use of Restricted Drug Distribution Programs May Impede Generic Competition

FTC Amicus Brief, here

Replacing the economic absurdity of New Jersey’s Tesla direct sales ban with a callous reward for rent-seeking

G. Manne, here

Platform Neutrality: Building an open and sustainable digital environment

Cnnumerique.fr, here

Supreme Court smashes “do it on a computer” patents in 9-0 opinion

ArsTechnica, here

From Vision to Reality: Copyright, Technology and Practical Solutions Enabling the Media & Publishing Ecosystem

European Publishers Council, here.

At p. 34 "EPC does not oppose that principle (non-overridability, SV) and, indeed, it is already reflected in the Software Directive. It is right that exceptions should not be overridden by the inclusion of clauses into contracts which have the effect of stopping lawful users
from taking advantage of the exceptions." Caveats follow...

Interestingly, roughly the same reasoning ("it is already reflected in the Software Directive") could possibly apply to a general digital exhaustion principle, to which publishers are instead opposed (p. 30 ff.)

The Role of Lead Jurisdiction Concepts

O. Budzinski, Presentation here

Public private partnerships in Italy: A snapshot of the main issues

F. Antellini Russo, Presentation here

Airline Competition

OECD Secretariat, Background Paper, here.

Unjustified Delays in Generic Drug Competition

S. Hemphill, here

The Implications of the Imperfect European Patent Enforcement System on the Assessment of Reverse Payment Settlements

R. Subiotto, here.

Allgemeine Bildungs- und Wissenschaftsschranke

K. de la Durantaye, hier

MOFCOM Files Brief In U.S. Vitamin C Case Urging Application Of Foreign Sovereign Compulsion Defense

Orrick, here

Changes to UK copyright law

IPO's Guidance here

Why consumers should be at the heart of TTIP

BEUC, here

CJEU on the assessment of the individual character of a design

Case C-345/13 Karen Millen Fashions Ltd v Dunnes Stores, Press Release here; Judgment here.  

Contre Google, Qwant reçoit le renfort d'un géant allemand de la presse (Axel Springer)

Numerama.com, ici.

Copyright Protections and Disability Rights: Turning the Page to a New International Paradigm

P. Harpur, N. Suzor, here

Google: "Angebote mit dem Leistungsschutzrecht in Einklang"

Heise.de, Hier.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

YouTube to block indie labels as subscription service launches

Bbc.com, Here.

Muddling Through: How We Learn to Cope with Technological Change

A. Thierer, here

Schweizer Nationalrat stimmt für gesetzliche Festschreibung der Netzneutralität

Netzspolitik.org, hier.

Global Deletion Orders? B.C. Court Orders Google To Remove Websites From its Worldwide Index

M. Geist, here

Resolution on the revision of the Convention 108

European Conference of Data Protection Authorities, here.

Retailers Ask Appeals Court to Overturn Credit Card Swipe Fee Settlement

BusinessWire.com, here.

Brief here

EU Court Maintains Tough Stance Against Business Practices by Firms With Strong Market Power

Mwe.com, here

Federal Circuit Feeds Us Some Humble Pie: Oracle v Google Reversed

A. Sanders, here

Universities 'get poor value' from academic journal-publishing firms

TheGuardian.com, here

The Disruption Machine

J. Lepore, here

CNMC on the "Google Tax"

Here

Apple settles $840 million ebooks price-fixing claim

TheVerge.com, here

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Why online tracking is getting creepier

ArsTechnica, here

HathiTrust: A win, oddly

K. Smith, here

Search Engines and Data Retention: Implications for Privacy and Antitrust

L. Chou, C. Tucker, here

Mozambique in the Process of Implementing a New Competition Regime

L. Domingos, S. Morais, here

CJEU Provides Guidance Regarding Potential Liability Of Cartel Members In EU Member States For Sales By Non-Cartel Participants

Wilmerhale.com, here

The Effect of Patent Litigation and Patent Assertion Entities on Entrepreneurial Activity

C. Tucker, here

The General Court upholds the Commission's Intel decision

Press release here. Judgment T‑286/09 here

CMA proposes ban on "wide" retail price MFN between price comparison websites and insurers in the private motor insurance market (and ban on "narrow" MFN if "equivalent behaviour")

Provisional decision on remedies here.

See also Appendices 4.1 (Single-homing and the threat of delisting), 4.2 (Extending the remedy to narrow MFNs), and 4.3 (Effectiveness of advertising expenditure on PCWs), here.

Remedy proposed (para 4.71):

(a) A prohibition on PCWs and PMI providers entering into or performing agreements that include an MFN relating to the sale of PMI, except narrow MFNs, where ‘narrow MFNs’ are defined as covering the insurance provider website but excluding possible aggregator platforms.
(b) A prohibition on behaviours which have as their effect the elimination or reduction of competition between PCWs in a similar way to the harm identified by wide MFNs (namely, restricting entry to the PCW market, reducing innovation by PCWs and increasing premiums for motor insurance to the retail customer). This measure will apply to those PCWs which generate more than 300,000 PMI sales per year [this would mean that narrow MFNs which have the same anticompetitive effects as wide MFNs are also prohibited, SV ]
(c) PMI providers and PCWs will be required to comply with immediate effect following the making of the order.
(d) In order to monitor equivalent behaviours, those PCWs above the 300,000 PMI sales per year threshold will be required to submit compliance statements to the CMA every quarter for the first two years following the order and then once a year. These compliance statements would need to list all delisting actions during the relevant period, setting out the reasons for the delisting.



Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Finding the Balance on Digital Privacy

S. Singleton, here

The demise of the rate parity clause: opportunities and risks for hoteliers

Tnooz.com, here

The Internet and Big Data - Incompatible with Data Protection?

P. Schaar, here

Neelie's view on taxi protests and what it means for the sharing economy

Here

US Proposal Seeks To Allow Non-Violation Cases Under TRIPS Agreement

Ip-watch.org, here

Rolling Up Video Distribution in the U.S.: Why the Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger Should Be Blocked

AAI, White Paper, here

2nd Circuit Decision In Lotes Clarifies FTAIA’s Effect On The Extraterritorial Reach Of The Sherman Act, But Leaves Unresolved The Status Of Claims Based On Importation Of Products Containing Price-Fixed Components

Orrick.com, here

Het misbruikverbod op het internet: onlineplatforms als poortwachters van persoonsgegevens

I. Graef, hier

Putting the right to data portability into a competition law perspective

I. Graef, J. Verschakelen, P. Valcke, here

On the antitrust economics of the electronic books industry

G. Gaudin, A. White, here

Justice Council: EU data protection reform on track?

Legalmemory, here.

Payday lending market investigation: Summary of provisional findings

CMA, here

Uber (u)ber alles?

Bbc.com, here

Hathitrust Wins Big Victory For Authors In Authors Guild Case

P. Samuelson, here

Friday, June 06, 2014

Governing, Exchanging, Securing: Big Data and the Production of Digital Knowledge

B. Harcourt, here

Italy's contribution to the June 2014 OECD discussions on generic pharmaceuticals and competition

Here. Other documentation on the same topic here

OECD Guide for helping competition authorities assess the expected impact of their activities

Here (in French here). 

Key points in the Open Internet Project's legal action (Google Search)

OIP, here.

Refusal to provide referrer data evoking privacy reasons, as easily anticipated (page 27).

A New Era In Cartel Enforcement Against Foreign Nationals

Steptoe.com, here

Pratiques d’éviction : Quoi de neuf ?

Séminaire, présentations ici; synthèse des débats ici

Colorado becomes first state to pass law embracing Uber, Lyft et al.

BizJournals.com, here.

Transportation Network Company Act here

Thursday, June 05, 2014

No Market Power Needed In 2nd Circuit Vertical Restraint Cases

United States v. American Express Co, No. 10-CV-4496, May 7, 2014 order, here

EU competition chief to examine Amazon, Hachette e-book spat

Reuters.com, here.

Price Coherence and Adverse Intermediation

B. Edelman, J. Wright, here

Supermarket Power: Serving Consumers or Harming Competition

J. Berasategi, here

CMA consults on improved commitments relating to platform services for the automotive sector

CJEU: The ‘temporary copies’ exception applies to on-screen and cached copies

C‑360/13 Public Relations Consultants Association Ltd v Newspaper Licensing Agency Ltd and Others, here

AG: A Member State can authorise libraries to digitise books and make them available at electronic reading posts

C-117/13 Technische Universität Darmstadt v Eugen Ulmer KG Press Release here.

"...se contenter d’une simple offre du titulaire du droit d’auteur permettrait de subordonner l’application de ladite exception à des décisions unilatérales, ce qui, en conséquence, priverait l’exception d’effet utile pour les établissements concernés. L’interprétation téléologique, quant à elle, exige également, compte tenu de l’objectif d’intérêt général poursuivi par le législateur de l’Union, à savoir promouvoir la diffusion du savoir et de la culture, que l’utilisateur puisse invoquer cette exception (24).
...
De la même façon qu’il est loisible à un utilisateur d’une bibliothèque, dans les limites posées par la législation nationale, de photocopier les pages des ouvrages physiques présents dans le fonds et à une bibliothèque de le permettre, l’utilisateur peut imprimer des pages d’une copie numérique et la bibliothèque peut le permettre (57)"

CJEU: Cartel members may be sued for damage caused by umbrella pricing

C-557/12 Kone AG and Others v ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Press Release here, Judgment here.

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Drafting Competition Law for Developing Jurisdictions: Learning from Experience

E. Fox, M. Gal, here

Desenvolvimiento competitivo impedido por medio de bloqueos marcarios: acuerdo conciliatorio

Fne.gob.cl, aquì

First Sale Hearing in the Big Apple

J. Band, here

Competition Policy and the Technologies of Information

H. Hovenkamp, here.


Google Deletion Complaints to Be Policed by EU Privacy Panel

Bloomberg.com, here

Competition issues at the forefront in aviation

ACCC.gov.au, here

YouTube's new streaming service: Independent music community on the barricades and seeking Almunia's intervention

Impala, here

Net Neutrality Explained by John Oliver

Video, here

HRS Decision in English (retail MFN)

Bundeskartellamt, here. For "general" information purposes only.

British Recording Industry Thinks 'Right To Be Forgotten' Proves Google Can Stop Piracy

TechDirt.com, here

On Privacy, Big Data and Competition Law

ChillingCompetition, Post 1 here, 2 here.

Weaving a Tapestry to Protect Privacy and Competition in the Age of Big Data

J. Brill, here

All the Amazon-Hachette coverage doesn’t seem to cover some important causes and implications

Idealog.com, here

Monday, June 02, 2014

Platform Strategy (Literature Survey)

G. Parker, M. Van Alstyne, here

Hearing: First Sale Under Title 17

U.S. House Judiciary Committee, testimonies here

Payback time: First patent troll ordered to pay “extraordinary case” fees (Judge Denise Cote)

ArsTechnica, here

Changes to UK Copyright: Education Exceptions

Copyright4education, here.

Interview: Booking.com confident it is on trend and set for further growth

Travolution.co.uk, here

Why Competition Matters and How to  Foster It in the Dynamic ICT Sector

ITU Global Symposium for Regulators discussion paper, here.

Consumer protection in the online world

ITU Global Symposium for Regulators discussion paper, here.

Lessons from the 'right to be forgotten'

TheHill.com, here