The Competition Bureau took action against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, for allegedly making deceptive claims to consumers when advertising prices for sports and entertainment tickets. The Bureau’s investigation found that Ticketmaster’s advertised prices are deceptive because consumers must pay additional fees that are added later in the purchasing process. This practice, which … Read more
As Commissioner of Competition John Pecman nears the end of his five-year term in June 2018, he is emphasizing the vital importance of embracing competition to create the conditions for innovation in Canada. During the remainder of his tenure, the Commissioner will continue to support innovation through targeted enforcement and competition promotion. He will also advance … Read more
The Competition Bureau announced that it has reached an agreement with Softvoyage Inc., a Canadian developer of travel-related software, to address concerns of abuse of dominance. The Bureau’s investigation focused on markets related to the supply of essential software for managing and distributing all-inclusive travel packages in Canada. The Bureau also investigated allegations that restrictive … Read more
The Competition Bureau participated in a proposed Canadian class action settlement agreement reached by Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche with buyers or lessees of certain 3.0 litre diesel vehicles. This settlement, if approved by the courts, will provide them with buyback, repair and restitution payments totalling up to $290.5 million. The Bureau also reached a consent … Read more
The Competition Bureau reached an agreement with Thane Canada Inc. under which the company paid a $350,000 administrative monetary penalty. This resolution addresses the Bureau’s concerns over misleading representations made by a predecessor company to promote AbTronic X2 and Ab Command iX2, two electronic muscle stimulation devices. As part of the agreement, Thane cannot market … Read more
The Commissioner of Competition is pleased to announce that Randall Hofley, partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, will bring his experience and expertise in Canadian competition law and policy to the Competition Bureau. As of January 2, 2018, Hofley began serving a two-year term as General Counsel and Senior Enforcement Advisor with the Department … Read more
The Commissioner of Competition welcomes the Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling in favour of competition and innovation in the Bureau’s abuse of dominance case against the Toronto Real Estate Board. The decision upholds an order issued by the Competition Tribunal in 2016 that requires TREB to remove restrictions on its members’ access to real estate … Read more
Kelly Sani-Vac Inc. pleaded guilty to participating in a bid-rigging scheme to obtain municipal contracts for specialized sewer services in Quebec and was fined $85,000 by the Quebec Superior Court in Montreal. The charges against owner Daniel Kelly were stayed. The charges against Kelly Sani-Vac are related to calls for tenders for municipal contracts in … Read more
The Competition Bureau announced that it is closing its investigation into allegations of abuse of dominance by Loblaw. The Bureau analysed the impact on competition of policies imposed by Loblaw on its suppliers. Following an extensive review of the full body of evidence, the Bureau concluded that no further action was warranted under the civil … Read more
Commissioner of Competition John Pecman met Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Maureen Ohlhausen, Acting Chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and Alejandra Palacios Prieto, Chair of the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission in Washington, D.C., to continue strengthening North American cooperation in competition law enforcement. Pecman highlighted Canada’s … Read more
