Abuse of Dominance

Abuse of dominance is one of the key provisions contained in the Competition Act. It seeks to prevent firms which dominate a market from engaging in anti-competitive acts which harm competitors and thereby significantly lessen competition.  It must be understood that a company which is dominant in a particular industry or market does not, by virtue of that fact alone, run afoul of the Act. The emergence of a dominant firm is often the natural result of competitive forces and can represent, from the perspective of the economy at large, an efficient outcome.  Nevertheless, once dominance has been achieved, such firms are held to a stricter standard.  The Act, in section 78, lists examples of practices which could be deemed "anti-competitive acts".  None of these, of themselves, cause concern of an antitrust nature, but they do become the subject of concern if undertaken by a dominant firm with the result that competition is lessened substantially in a market.

Latest News

June 6, 2008 - Information Notices
Competition Bureau Publishes Bulletin on Abuse of Dominance in the Telecommunications Industry