December 16, 2023
On December 15, 2023, Bill C-56 (An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act), which introduced the first of two significant new rounds of amendments to the federal Competition Act, largely came into force.
December 21, 2023
Practical Law Canada, Competition, of which I am Lawyer Editor, published a new Legal Update, which discusses the recent amendments to the Competition Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-34, enacted by Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, S.C. 2023, c. 31. This Update includes a discussion of the key amendments, including to the abuse of dominance, merger and civil agreements provisions of the Competition Act, as well as implications for Competition Bureau and private enforcement and compliance risk.
Below is an extract of the new Legal Update with a link to the full Update.
December 16, 2023
On December 15, 2023, significant amendments to Canada’s federal Competition Act were passed, including important changes to Canada’s abuse of dominance (federal monopoly) law. This post discusses the December 2023 amendments in general and the key changes to the abuse of dominance provisions of the Competition Act in particular under sections 78 and 79.
November 2, 2023
On October 27, 2023, the province of Quebec made significant changes to its rules relating to publicity contests open to Quebec residents.
October 19, 2023
On October 19, 2023, Canada’s Competition Bureau (Bureau) released a new report of competitive intensity in Canada between 2000 and 2020 (see: Competition Bureau report finds Canada’s competitive intensity in decline).
October 5, 2023
On September 27, 2023, the Canadian Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that the Dufresne Group Inc. (TDG) (Dufresne Group), based in Manitoba, had agreed to settle an ordinary selling price (OSP) and urgency cue marketing related case for CDN $3.25 million (see: Competition Bureau, News Release, The Dufresne Group to pay $3.25 million penalty to settle Competition Bureau concerns over marketing claims).
September 26, 2023
On September 25, 2023, the Federal Court (Court), in Sunderland v. Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, 2023 FC 1293, per Crampton C.J., issued an important decision in a Canadian price-fixing conspiracy related class action against The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) and a number of Canadian real estate brokerages and franchisors.
June 24, 2023
On June 21, 2023, Canada’s federal Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that Canada Bread had been sentenced by the Ontario Superior Court to a CDN $50 million fine after pleading guilty to fixing wholesale bread prices in Canada.
This recent Canadian criminal price-fixing fine is the highest price-fixing fine imposed by a Canadian court to date. For more information, see: Canada Bread sentenced to $50 million fine after pleading guilty to fixing wholesale bread prices (June 21, 2023). For more information about criminal price-fixing under the Competition Act in Canada, see: Conspiracy (Cartels).
Templates/precedents and checklists to run promotional contests in Canada
Templates/precedents and checklists to comply with Canadian anti-spam law (CASL)
