Keywords: Technology Transfer Block Exemption,
TTBE, European Commission, EC, competition, technology transfer
agreements,
The European Commission is inviting comments on the application
of EU competition rules for the assessment of technology transfer
agreements due to the upcoming expiry of the current Technology
Transfer Block Exemption Regulation
("TTBE").
The review is being undertaken by the European Commission in
order to evaluate whether the TTBE should lapse, be modified or
replaced upon its expiry on 30 April 2014.
As a key element of this review, the European Commission has
invited stakeholders to present their views on their practical
experiences in applying the TTBE and the accompanying guidelines
via a questionnaire.
The TTBE is relevant to businesses engaged in technology
transfer by, e.g., licensing of intellectual property...
Specific Questions relating to this article should be addressed directly to the author.
On 19 April 2012, a judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rejected an appeal by Tomra Systems ASA against a 2010 judgment of the General Court.
On 24 April 2012, the United Kingdom's Department for Business, Innovation & Skills published a 70-page document entitled Private Actions in Competition Law.
On 30 March 2012, the European Commission published its Antitrust Manual of Procedures (the so-called "ManProc"), which comprises internal working documents on the procedures concerning the application of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU.
On 14 February 2012, the European Court of Justice ("ECJ") handed down a preliminary ruling regarding the application of the principle of "ne bis in idem" in the framework of EU competition law and, in particular, Regulation 1/2003.
The European Court of Human Right (ECHR) in the judgment rendered in September 27, 2011, case Menarini Diagnostics S.R.L. vs. Italy, complaint 43509/08, confirmed the application of Article 6(1) of the European Convention of Human Rights (Convention), regarding the right to a fair trial in criminal cases, in competition law procedures.
On 3 April 2012, the European Commission announced that it had opened an antitrust investigation against Motorola Mobility over concerns that the US-based mobile phone company may be abusing its dominant position by obstructing the use of certain of its standard essential patents, contrary to Article 102 TFEU.
The European Commission has sent a statement of objections to Slovak Telekom and Deutsche Telekom in relation to their behaviour on several wholesale broadband markets in Slovakia, which it considers may infringe Article 102.
In a decision published on 5 April 2012, the European Court of Human Rights ("ECHR"), dismissed Bouygues Telecom's claims that French competition proceedings infringed its fundamental rights.