Month: May 2022

The judgment of the Court of Justice in Servizio (C-377/20) – Part I

On 12 May, the Court of Justice delivered its eagerly anticipated judgment in Servizio (C-377/20), a preliminary ruling concerning the interpretation of Article 102 TFEU. This is a very interesting ruling for a variety of reasons: First, the conduct in question involved the (allegedly) abusive use of a database, and in particular the discriminatory use … Continue reading The judgment of the Court of Justice in Servizio (C-377/20) – Part I →

Embracing rather than fighting digital regulation: Microsoft’s vision for the future

Yesterday, I attended a presentation by Brad Smith, Microsoft’s President and Vice-Chair, at an event organised by Brussels think tank Bruegel. I have listened to Brad Smith a few times in the past, but yesterday he was really at his best. He is a truly impressive public speaker and I liked the message he was … Continue reading Embracing rather than fighting digital regulation: Microsoft’s vision for the future →

The UK’s Digital Markets Unit: we’re not making any progress, but we promise we will “in due course”

In the UK’s slow journey towards its Digital Markets Unit (“DMU”) regime, the Government has published its formal response to last summer’s consultation document (the “Response Document”). We now know that the necessary legislation will not be included in the next session of Parliament, and therefore will not be enacted within the next year, but … Continue reading The UK’s Digital Markets Unit: we’re not making any progress, but we promise we will “in due course” →

When Brexit means falling behind: The probable death of the DMU regime

Everything had started well with the excellent Furman report, which emphasized the need to adopt an ex ante regulatory regime that would apply to Big Tech firms in the UK. That report had indeed found that competition rules would not be sufficient to control these firms’ market power.  The UK had the lead and was … Continue reading When Brexit means falling behind: The probable death of the DMU regime →

The European Media Freedom Act: A bold move raising bold questions

Digital regulation “aficionados” have been busy with the political agreement the EU institutions reached on the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”) and the Digital Services Act (“DSA”). Nevertheless, there is another initiative in the pipeline that may not have received much attention to date, namely the European Media Freedom Act (“EMFA”). This initiative raises a number of questions: Could the EMFA undermine … Continue reading The European Media Freedom Act: A bold move raising bold questions →