Competition law
Competition law has undergone substantial changes during the past years and had its most recent big bang on 1.5.2004. Both the applicable EU-legislation and national laws affect companies with a substantial market share as well as smaller and middle-sized enterprises in their day to day businesses and their access to new products and distribution chains. Allowed or forbidden – a wide range of the new regulations on the restriction of competition and the powers of national and EU-competition authorities are still subject to interpretation by the courts and will be good for surprises. Take-over intentions of listed corporations face an ongoing flow of regulations requiring legal advice at all stages.
Not only agreements containing exclusiveness and similar restrictions as well as licensing agreements and certain agreements with partners in the new countries having joined the EU on 1.5.2004 should be examined as to their compliance with the competition regulations of the EU. Whenever it comes to competition-sensitive issues, there remains not much to heal when something has gone wrong. Legal advice has become mandatory prior to doing anything and imposes new challenges to law firms.
Unfair competition
Unfair behavior of competitors, of parties to a contractual relationship or after the end of it may cause substantial damages and may require immediate reactions.
We have represented Finnish and foreign clientele in various matters of unfair competition and have obtained and successfully litigated injunctive relieves in Finland, Germany and other countries concerning product copying, misleading marketing and advertising, violating of immaterial property rights, breaches of confidentiality obligations and non-competition clauses. Immediate reaction is of most importance, and should one have whatsoever doubts in any of these matters, one may only urge to examine the matter and to seek for professional legal assistance, immediately.
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