ANTITRUST | The EC fines Pierre Cardin and its licensee for restricting cross-border sales

On 28 November 2024, the European Commission (“EC”) fined the fashion house Pierre Cardin (“Pierre Cardin”) and its German licensee Ahlers AG (“Ahlers”, together with Pierre Cardin, the “Companies”) for having concluded an anti-competitive agreement and concerted practices in violation of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. According to the EC, the infringement consisted of Pierre Cardin prohibiting licensees other than Ahlers and its customers from selling its branded apparel (a) outside their allocated territories and/or (b) to retailers offering the apparel at a low price. As a result, the undertakings had blocked cross-border sales in order to grant territorial protection to Ahlers in the countries covered by its licence agreement with Pierre Cardin.

Newsletter n. 102 – December 2024