27 May, 2025<\/p>\n
Geci\u0107 Law announces another legal victory in a critical antitrust case in Bosnia and Herzegovina.\u00a0 On May 8, 2025, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina delivered a definitive ruling in favor of\u00a0Arena Channels Group<\/a>\u00a0(ACG), BH Telecom, and Mtel a.d. Banja Luka, dismissing in full the antitrust allegations brought by Telemach Sarajevo.\u00a0 The dispute concerned the partial transfer of broadcasting rights for the Bosnian Premier League.\u00a0 It also addressed whether the agreement between ACG and BH Telecom breached competition law.<\/p>\n The Premier League Case<\/p>\n The dispute dates back to March 2021.\u00a0 At that time, Telemach lodged a complaint with the Competition Council, claiming that the agreement represented unlawful coordination among competitors.\u00a0 The company further alleged that the parties concluded the deal without ensuring transparency.\u00a0 It also claimed they failed to conduct a public procurement procedure or initiate an open bidding process.\u00a0 In December 2021, the Competition Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina dismissed Telemach\u2019s complaint in its entirety.<\/p>\n In response, Telemach initiated legal proceedings before the Court of BiH.\u00a0 The Court initially ruled in Telemach\u2019s favor on procedural grounds, remanding the matter to the Competition Council for reconsideration.\u00a0 The Council then reassessed the case but ultimately reaffirmed its original findings, rejecting the complaint again on April 24, 2024.\u00a0 Telemach proceeded to file a second legal challenge, bringing the matter before the Court again.<\/p>\n In its final judgment, the Court dismissed Telemach\u2019s claims in their entirety.\u00a0 The ruling emphasized that the plaintiff had not substantiated the existence of any actual violation of competition law, relying instead on general legal references.\u00a0 It was further noted that Telemach had made no effort to engage with ACG on possible cooperation.\u00a0 The Court reiterated that the burden of proof in such matters lies with the applicant and that Telemach, not being a party to the agreement in question, lacked legal standing to demand an individual exemption procedure be applied.<\/p>\n This outcome definitively confirms that ACG, BH Telecom, and Mtel did not violate competition law and underscores the legality of the disputed agreement.<\/p>\n Commitment to Excellence in Complex Competition Matters<\/p>\n This case illustrates Geci\u0107 Law\u2019s unwavering dedication to advising on complex competition law matters with precision and strategic insight.\u00a0 The Geci\u0107 Law team was led by founding partner\u00a0Bogdan Geci\u0107<\/a>, together with senior associate\u00a0Vuk Lekovi\u0107<\/a>, and associate\u00a0Du\u0161an Jablan<\/a>.<\/p>\n We are proud to have contributed to this significant outcome, which reinforces the integrity of competition law enforcement and broadcasting rights governance in the region.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-53658","press_releases","type-press_releases","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/developments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases\/53658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/developments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press_releases"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/developments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press_releases"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.legal500.com\/developments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}