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The Law Against Unfair Competition and the EC Treaty

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Part of the book series: MPI Studies on Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law ((MSIP,volume 1))

Abstract

Unlike Antitrust law, Unfair Competition law is not directly governed in the EC Treaty. The following is intended to show how European primary law nevertheless bears on the unfair commercial practices regulations of Member States.

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References

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  79. Decisions of the ECJ, April 26, 1988, Case No. 352/85, 1988 ECR 2085, 13 et seq.Bond van Adverteerders et al.; July 9, 1997, Case No. C-34-36/95, 1997 ECR I-3843, 48 — De Agostini; October 28, 1999, Case No. C-6/98, 1999 ECR I-7599, 49 — ARD v. PRO Sieben Media AG; October 5, 2000, Case No. C-376/98, 2000 ECR I-8419, 99 — Bundesrepublik Deutschland v. Parlament und Rat; March 8, 2001, Case No. C-405/98, 2001 ECR I-1795, 37 — Konsumentombudsmannen (KO) v. Gourmet International Products AB (GIP). On this there is a clear shift of accent particularly in the efforts at harmonisation by the Commission.

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  80. Decision of the ECJ, October 28, 1999, Case No. C-6/98, 1999 ECR I-7599, 49 — ARD v. PRO Sieben Media AG, concerned provisions restricting exports. The stricter regulations of the country of domicile for calculating the permissible duration of advertising interruptions in television programmes only disadvantages the television providers based in this country against their competitors in other Member States. However, the resulting discrimination of nationals is covered neither by the basic freedom nor by general equal treatment requirements. Cf. Attorney General Jacobs, final pleadings note 83 et seq., to decision of the ECJ, October 28, 1999, Case No. C-6/98, 1999 ECR I-7599 — ARD v. PRO Sieben Media AG; decision of the ECJ, October 28, 1999, Case No. C-6/98, 1999 ECR I-7599, 53 — ARD v. PRO Sieben Media AG.

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Glöckner, J. (2007). The Law Against Unfair Competition and the EC Treaty. In: Hilty, R.M., Henning-Bodewig, F. (eds) Law Against Unfair Competition. MPI Studies on Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-71882-6_4

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