Canadian Competition Law 2004: The Year in Review

Originally Published May 2005

Significant developments in Canadian competition law in 2004 and early 2005 included the introduction of new legislation and Merger Enforcement Guidelines, an increase in private applications to the Competition Tribunal, and landmark U.S. cases with potential ramifications for parties in Canadian international cartel litigation.

On November 2, 2004, Bill C-19 was tabled for first reading. The Bill proposes some significant amendments to the Competition Act (the "Act") including:

• The imposition of significant administrative monetary penalties in certain abuse of dominance cases;

• A substantial increase in the administrative monetary penalties currently in place for deceptive marketing practices;