Antitrust law, as a branch of competition law, addresses this need for protection. The aim is to prevent economic cartels in order to ensure free and fair competition. In order to achieve this, numerous laws and guidelines have been enacted at both national and international level, to which companies must adhere. In Germany, the Act against Restraints of Competition (GWB) is the central standard of antitrust law. It primarily regulates and combats the accumulation and abuse of market power. To this end, it coordinates the competitive behavior of independent market participants by prohibiting certain cartels, preventing the abuse of dominant market positions, and controlling mergers.

Dominant market position and what it can mean

But who does antitrust law apply to anyway? And who needs to know the rules of antitrust law? - In principle, antitrust law applies to every company, no matter how large or powerful it is. However, the regulations of antitrust law become particularly explosive for those companies that can obtain a dominant market position through the formation of cartels or mergers. This may be the case due to their size, but also due to their specific position in the market. This means that the largest and strongest industry representatives in particular are the focus of the legislator. Those who violate applicable antitrust law risk not only economic sanctions but also legal consequences: For example, disadvantaged market participants may be entitled to high damages - and this along the entire value chain.

Sanctions, fines, damages: Prevent with professional training

Time and again, companies come into conflict with the legislator and are sentenced to high fines. Just recently, the European Court confirmed a ruling in which the Internet giant Google was ordered to pay a fine of 2.42 billion euros for allegedly exploiting its market power in its price comparison service and thus violating EU antitrust law. Other cases of antitrust violations are also known from other market giants such as VW, Deutsche Bahn or Amazon. This makes it all the more important for managers and corporate decision-makers to be familiar with the applicable legal framework. This is the only way to actively prevent possible violations and avert impending sanctions, fines or claims for damages. Security-Island has developed a professional compliance training on the topic of antitrust law that supports you in this endeavor.