Competition Bureau Discontinues Inquiry into Mycom Canada Ltd. and a Former Employee for Alleged Violation of the Competition Act

OTTAWA, December 9, 1999 — The Competition Bureau announced today that an inquiry into Mycom Canada Ltd. (Mycom) and a former Vice President Sales, has now been resolved. The inquiry involved section 64, the obstruction provision of the Competition Act (the Act). The inquiry stems from a previous inquiry into Mycom involving the exclusive dealing and abuse provisions of the Act.

The inquiry began in October 1996. It involved a request from the Competition Bureau to Mycom for the latter to provide, under oath, a voluntary return of information both written and in the form of company records with respect to the civil inquiry under the exclusive dealing and abuse provisions. The Bureau felt that the response to this request was insufficient and misleading and, consequently, it initiated the obstruction inquiry.

During the course of the inquiry, Mycom wrote a letter of apology to the Bureau with regard to the insufficiency of its voluntary return of information and remedied the alleged non-compliance to the Bureau's satisfaction. In its letter, Mycom agreed to cooperate with the Bureau in any possible future inquiries. Mycom has also instituted a disciplinary policy for employees who fail to comply with the Act and has had its employees take a course on compliance with the Act. In addition, the Bureau's concerns regarding the original civil inquiry concerning exclusive dealing and abuse of dominant position, which began in March, 1995, were alleviated, when in the course of this matter, Mycom altered its sales policy.

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Richard Taylor
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