Lesson 1Assessin' exclusivity: exclusive vs. de facto exclusivity, carve-outs fi small customers, duration an' terminationDis section detail how to assess whether arrangements amount to exclusive or de facto exclusive dealin', how carve-outs fi small or strategic customers work, an' how duration an' termination rights influence competition law risk, yuh zeet.
Exclusive vs. de facto exclusivity indicatorsDesignin' an' sizin' customer carve-outsDuration limits an' review or sunset clausesTermination rights, notice, an' penaltiesMonitorin' compliance an' internal approvalsLesson 2Legal tests an' case law pon bundlin' an' loyalty rebates (key EU an' U.S. decisions an' years)Dis section review legal tests an' leadin' EU an' U.S. cases pon bundlin' an' loyalty rebates, explainin' form-based an' effects-based approaches, price-cost tests, an' how courts evaluate exclusionary strategies an' evidence over time, mi bredda.
Formal vs. effects-based legal standardsPrice-cost an' as-efficient competitor testsKey EU bundlin' an' rebate decisionsKey U.S. tyin' an' loyalty rebate casesUsin' case law to guide risk assessmentsLesson 3Exclusivity an' long-term supply clauses: foreclosure risk, market coverage thresholds, safe harborsDis section examine exclusivity an' long-term supply clauses, focusin' pon foreclosure risks, market coverage thresholds, an' safe harbors, an' explain how market structure, buyer power, an' contract design affect antitrust exposure, yuh know.
Identifyin' exclusivity an' quasi-exclusivity clausesAssessin' foreclosure an' market coverage levelsSafe harbors an' low market share scenariosRole a buyer power an' countervailin' constraintsDuration, renewal, an' termination mechanismsLesson 4Defenses an' alternative explanations: unilateral decisions, unilateral announcements, legitimate business coordinationDis section explain how firms can rely pon defenses an' alternative explanations, includin' unilateral decisions, public announcements, an' legitimate coordination, an' how to document business rationales to reduce cartel or collusion inferences, seen.
Unilateral decision-makin' an' internal recordsPublic announcements an' signalin' concernsLegitimate joint ventures an' collaborationsObjective business justifications an' evidencePreparin' defense narratives an' documentationLesson 5Information exchange an' communications wid competitors: per se cartel risk vs. hub-an'-spoke theoriesDis section cover information exchanges an' competitor communications, distinguishin' per se cartel-type conduct from hub-an'-spoke theories, an' explain when data sharin', trade associations, an' bilateral contacts create serious antitrust risk, yuh zeet.
Per se illegal exchanges an' hard-core topicsHub-an'-spoke an' signalin' through intermediariesSafe information exchanges an' aggregationTrade associations an' industry meetingsCompliance rules fi calls an' messagin' appsLesson 6Bundlin' an' conditional discount theories: tyin', loyalty rebates, single-product discountsDis section explore bundlin', tyin', an' conditional discounts, includin' loyalty rebates an' single-product discounts, an' explain when dese practices may be exclusionary, how to structure dem safely, an' how agencies typically investigate dem, mi bredda.
Distinguishin' tyin', bundlin', an' rebatesRetroactive vs. incremental discount structuresFidelity an' loyalty rebates risk factorsSingle-product discounts an' predation testsDesignin' compliant discount programsLesson 7Key factual indicators dat increase risk fi bundlin' claims an' defenses based pon efficienciesDis section identify factual indicators dat heighten bundlin' risk, such as market power, coverage, an' rivals’ access, an' explain how to build efficiency-based defenses, includin' cost savings, integration benefits, an' consumer value, yuh know.
Market power an' customer dependence signalsShare a demand tied or bundled togetherImpact pon rivals’ access an' scaleDocumentin' efficiencies an' pass-throughRemedies, redesign, an' compliance auditsLesson 8Assessin' di emails an' calls: indicia a agreement, direct/indirect evidence, parallel conduct explanationsDis section guide di assessment a emails, chats, an' calls, explainin' indicia a agreement, direct an' circumstantial evidence, an' how to distinguish unlawful coordination from lawful parallel conduct supported by independent reasons, seen.
Red-flag language suggestin' agreementDirect vs. circumstantial documentary evidenceExplainin' parallel conduct wid hard dataInterviewin' employees an' preservin' recordsCreatin' compliant communication guidelinesLesson 9MFN risk factors an' procompetitive justifications (efficiency, platform quality)Dis section analyze MFN an' parity clauses, highlightin' risk factors such as market power, platform role, an' wide vs. narrow MFNs, an' explain how efficiencies, platform quality, an' investment incentives can support procompetitive justifications, yuh zeet.
Types a MFN an' parity clauses in practiceWide vs. narrow MFNs an' competitive impactKey MFN risk factors an' market conditionsEfficiency an' quality-related justificationsDesignin' lower-risk MFN alternativesLesson 10Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clauses: parity clauses, parity-by-price vs. parity-by-terms distinctions, relevant case lawDis section focus pon MFN an' parity clauses, distinguishin' price an' non-price parity, reviewin' key EU an' U.S. enforcement trends, an' explainin' how scope, coverage, an' carve-outs influence competitive effects an' legal risk, mi bredda.
Price vs. non-price parity obligationsWide, narrow, an' selective MFN designsOnline platforms an' hotel bookin' casesRegulatory an' policy responses to MFNsDraftin' MFNs wid tailored carve-outs