2006 Year in Review: Cartels and other Criminal Matters, Class Actions and Private Access

Cartels and other Criminal Matters

Notable Cartel Cases

Record fines were imposed for a domestic conspiracy involving Cascades Fine Papers Group Inc., Domtar Inc., and Unisource Canada Inc. Each accused pleaded guilty in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to two counts of conspiring to lessen competition unduly in contravention of section 45 (conspiracy) of the Competition Act (the "Act"). Each of the companies were fined $12.5 million for conspiring to unduly lessen competition in respect of carbonless sheet markets in Ontario and Quebec. The illegal agreements extended to:

• respecting each other's market share to stabilize prices;
• coordinating a response to a new market entrant;