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ARTICLE · 29 NOVEMBER 2011

Alleged Bundling And Predatory Pricing Case – OFT Considers No Grounds For Action

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang
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On 17 November 2011, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced that it has "no grounds to take action" against IDEXX Laboratories Ltd (IDEXX) in relation to alleged abuse of dominance in the veterinary diagnostic testing sector.

United KingdomAntitrust/Competition Law
Susan Hankey
Susan Hankey
John Markham
John Markham
David Marks
David Marks

On 17 November 2011, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) announced that it has "no grounds to take action" against IDEXX Laboratories Ltd (IDEXX) in relation to alleged abuse of dominance in the veterinary diagnostic testing sector.

Following a complaint, the OFT had been assessing alleged practices of:

  • providing discounts on diagnostic testing equipment to vets who agree to use IDEXX's external laboratory services
  • providing free or heavily discounted IDEXX analysers to vets who agree to spend a minimum amount each month on materials to be used with those analysers; and
  • offering discounted bundles of external laboratory tests which include a test that is only available from IDEXX.

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