Ecosystems and their Role in Competition Law

Event Details

This event discusses the competition concerns (if any) of ecosystems. One could think about anticompetitive foreclosure and leveraging of market power, but these problems are also present in markets where products and services are provided outside ecosystems. The question is whether we need to look at competition altogether differently in a digital economy where ecosystems are reliant on data.

The phenomenon of ecosystems is not new and yet there does not seem to be a commonly agreed definition of eco-systems. Despite this, the European Commission makes a distinction between digital ecosystems and non-digital ecosystems in its draft market definition notice. It explains that when the secondary digital products are offered as a bundle, it may assess the possibility of that bundle constituting a relevant market on its own. This raises the question whether such a distinction is justified. Think of the digital ecosystem created with the invention of the Apple iPhone in June 2007 and the Apple Appstore the subsequent year. A digital ecosystem, which allow consumers to make phone calls, browse the internet, check their emails, and download apps from third party app developers. Beside the market definition point, we will in our discussion of ecosystems consider what role the invention of the smart phone plays.

This event will be held under the Chatham House Rule

Join the conversation @BIICL #competitioninecosystems

Chair

Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen, Senior Research Fellow in Competition Law and Director, Competition Law Forum

Speakers

• Melanie Brandis from the Australian Competition & Consumer Committee (ACCC)
• Matthew Braovac, Director,  Digital Markets Unit, Competition and Markets Authority
  
• Dr Oliver Latham, Vice President, CRA
  
• Dr Joost Rietveld, University College London
• Dr Marc Zedler, European Commission Deputy Head of Information, Communication and Mergers Unit

 
Pricing and Registration

This event is open to members of the Competition Law Forum at BIICL and invited guests only.

Members of the forum may reserve a place by contacting the Event Team.

Find out more about the Competition Law Forum