Wettbewerbsrecht

«Open Banking» in der Schweiz – Herausforderungen an den Schnittstellen von Finanzmarkt-, Datenschutz- und Kartellrecht

«Open Banking» challenges traditional financial institutions in Switzerland and around the world. It poses strategic as well as legal compliance challenges. The present study delimits the (sometimes synonymously used) terms «Open Banking» and «API Banking» to the effect that Open Banking presupposes an access to the banking account (XS2A) on the basis of non-discriminatory criteria. It thus…

Bestimmung von Vertragskonditionen im Rahmen automatisierter Entscheidungen

Automated decision making has become increasingly popular in the context of contracting. Essential contractual conditions, in particular the price, are automatically determined based on a number of factors, a wealth of data and by the use of algorithms. Automated decision making for contractual terms raises a number of legal issues and questions, in particularly related to data protection, fair…

Recent developments in Swiss competition law

Obviously, steps taken by certain companies in the media sector trigger reactions from competitors in this dynamic environment which is constantly changing as a result of the digital revolution. Interestingly, Comco faced at the same time two transactions (AZ Medien/NZZ and Tamedia/Basler Zeitung) which had to be assessed in light of each other from the perspective of collective dominance:⁹⁰

Schutzzweck der Inhaltskontrolle von allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen

This article examines the reason for and justification of controlling the content of general terms and conditions by the legislator and the courts. Based on various individual and institutional protection concepts, it analyzes what the purpose of such content control can and actually should be. This contribution uses a legal theo­ry and law and economics research approach. The results of the…

La fin des rapports de travail du banquier : concurrence et bonus

The end of the banker’s working relationship is sometimes conflicting. The sticking points generally concern non-competition clauses and the payment of bonuses. The purpose of this article is to set out the rules applicable in this area in a way that both presents the legal principles and promotes practical solutions. In particular, the possibility of imposing a non-competition clause on the…

Entreprises et Big Data: peut-on forcer les entreprises à partager leurs données non-personnelles (par des licences obligatoires ou des licences „FRAND“)?

In the digital age where big data is of key value, companies generate a massive amount of data and make intensive use of data. Given that companies may depend on the access to non-personal data (industrial data) held by other companies to remain competitive, the question arises as to whether companies should be forced to share their non-personal data with each other (B2B data sharing) on the…

Trois modèles de contrôle des investissements transfrontaliers

The screening of foreign investment has become a growing concern for many countries. In the midst of a trade war between the US and China as well as issues related to state-owned companies’ interference in the EU, it is bound to become a subject of heated debates in Switzerland. As we continue to live through a global pandemic, some countries are seeing themselves lacking or at least vulnerable…

Editorial

Die Informationstechnologien und insbesondere die Digitalisierung wirken sich immer stärker auf Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft aus. Die SZW hat diese Tatsache zum Anlass genommen, sich vermehrt dieser Thematik anzunehmen: Das Heft 1/2017 war dem Einfluss der Informationstechnologien auf das Wirtschaftsrecht im Allgemeinen und das Heft 1/2018 den Auswirkungen der Digitalisierung auf das Gesellschafts…

Auf dem Weg zu einer digitalen Wettbewerbsordnung – Reaktionen des deutschen Gesetzgebers

Germany changed the Act against Restraints of Competition in 2017, partly in order to give a regulatory answer to the changes of the digital economy. The legislator answered to multi-sided markets with network effects, data-driven business models and the rise of «super platforms». Reforms related to the definition of market and the criteria for market power. A new merger threshold was introduced…

Algorithmen als Anlass für einen neuen Absprachebegriff?

Traditionally, cartels are concluded between natural persons whose behaviour then is imputed to the firms they are acting for. How shall we assess restrictions of competition emanating not from humans, but from algorithms? Long-established definitions of agreements as «concurrence of wills» or «meeting of the minds» do not fit well to the output of machines. Therefore, competition law is…