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ARTICLE · 29 SEPTEMBER 1999

News Update, Summer 1999 - General Commercial Law

Walker Morris
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United KingdomAntitrust/Competition Law

COMPETITION LAW DEVELOPMENTS

UK

The Competition Act 1998

The Competition Act 1998 is now in place, and introduces a 'clone' of EC competition law in UK national law, as a separate system additional to EC competition law. When fully implemented in March 2000, it will wipe away much of the existing UK law on the subject (the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976, the Resale Prices Act 1976 and the Competition Act 1980). Its principal provisions include the following:

  • a prohibition on agreements which prevent, restrict or distort competition in the UK (vertical agreements, i.e. those between businesses at different levels of the supply chain, are not to be caught by this prohibition)
  • a prohibition on conduct amounting to an abuse of a dominant position in the UK (vertical agreements could be caught by this in certain circumstances)

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