Author: 21st Century Competition

US: Antitrust claims take the university ‘Common App’ to court (Competition Policy International)

CollegeNET, which services universities with operational technologies, has reportedly filed an antitrust complaint against the Common Application, an organization that allows prospective university students to fill out a one-size-fits-all applications accepted by numerous universities in the nation.

According to reports, CollegeNET claims “Common Application has abused its market power in the …read more

Italy: Court cancels shipping line cartel fines (Competition Policy International)

Italy’s regional administrative court in Lazio has reportedly tossed antitrust fines issued to various shipping liners in 2013 by the nation’s competition authority.

More than $7.5 million in penalties were first imposed on four companies for allegedly colluding to fix the price of passenger transportation tariffs in 2011; regulators issued the …read more

Netherlands: Coffee merger threatens industry leader Nestle (Competition Policy International)

A recently-announced coffee merger threatens the industry’s leading rival Nestle with a new competitor, according to reports.

A number-two rival is set to emerge after Mondelez International and D.E Master Blenders merge into a venture based in the Netherlands. Mondelez, the owner of Chips Ahoy and Cadbury chocolate, is set to …read more

Israel: Bookstore fined for unfair publisher deals (Competition Policy International)

Top Israel bookstore chain Steimatzky has been issued a fine three years after regulators launched an investigation into the company’s alleged anticompetitive agreements with publishers.

Reports say Steimatzky and its CEO have been forced to pay nearly $435,000 regarding the chain’s requirement that publishers offer exclusive product deals; the requirements went …read more