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Document 62014TJ0699

    Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 11 January 2017.
    Topps Europe Ltd v European Commission.
    Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Abuse of dominant position — Grant of licences in respect of intellectual-property rights for football-related collectibles — Decision rejecting a complaint — Access to the file — Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 — Manifest error of assessment — Relevant market — Exclusive licence — Single branding — Excessive prices.
    Case T-699/14.

    Court reports – general – 'Information on unpublished decisions' section

    Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 11 January 2017 —
    Topps Europe v Commission

    (Case T‑699/14)

    (Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Abuse of dominant position — Grant of licences in respect of intellectual-property rights for football-related collectibles — Decision rejecting a complaint — Access to the file — Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 — Manifest error of assessment — Relevant market — Exclusive licence — Single branding — Excessive prices)

    1. 

    Competition—Administrative procedure—Rights of complainants—Access to documents—Scope—Limits

    (Arts 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU; Commission Regulation No 773/2004, Art. 8(1))

    (see paras 29, 30)

    2. 

    Competition—Administrative procedure—Examination of complaints—Determination of priorities by the Commission—No obligation on the Commission to adopt a decision as to the existence of an infringement—Account to be taken of the EU interest in investigating a case—Discretionary power of the Commission—Obligation to state reasons for the decision to close the file—Scope—Judicial review—Limits

    (Arts 101 TFEU, 102 TFEU and 105(1) TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003; Commission Regulation No 773/2004, Art. 7(2))

    (see paras 61-66, 70, 71)

    3. 

    Acts of the institutions—Statement of reasons—Obligation—Scope—Decision to apply competition rules

    (Arts 101 TFEU, 102 TFEU and 296 TFEU)

    (see paras 76, 77)

    4. 

    Competition—Relevant market—Delimitation—Criteria

    (Arts 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU)

    (see paras 80, 81)

    5. 

    Competition—Relevant market—Delimitation—No obligation on the Commission to refer to the assessments made in its previous decisions

    (Arts 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU)

    (see para. 93)

    6. 

    Competition—Dominant position—Abuse—Refusal of an undertaking in a dominant position to allow another undertaking access to a product or service necessary for its business—Assessment as to whether the product or service indispensable—Criteria

    (Art. 102 TFEU)

    (see para. 144)

    7. 

    Competition—Dominant position—Abuse—Unfair sale prices—Assessment

    (Art. 102 TFEU)

    (see para. 149)

    Re:

    APPLICATION under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Decision C(2014) 5123 final of 15 July 2014 rejecting the complaint lodged by the applicant in Case AT.39899 — Licensing of intellectual-property rights for football collectibles.

    Operative part

    The Court:

    1.

    Dismisses the action;

    2.

    Orders Topps Europe Ltd to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission, Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) and Panini Spa.

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