That company achieve a dominant position is not prohibited. However, the antitrust law prohibits this Power to abuse. This is exactly what the Online could have done a mail-order retailer.
Amazon logistics center in Brieselang (archive image)
The Federal cartel office wants to investigate, according to its President, whether or not the Internet group Amazon obstructs its platform to other providers. Andreas Mundt told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, Amazon appear to end customers only even as a trader, but also run a significant electronic platform for other retailers.
“We are talking here of hybrid platforms,” the authorities chief. In such platforms a potential for a obstruction to competition, the other traders”, are also able to sell through this Portal pass”. The cartel office also received complaints were. “We want to look at, therefore, this part of the E-Commerce more closely,” said Mundt. Exactly how the exam will look like, is still open. Also, the introduction of a formal procedure, therefore, is possible.
Cartel Office President Andreas Mundt (Archive Image)
In the last two years, the current proceedings against the social network Facebook, the office still need more time, said Mundt. Facebook was “a bit of a moving target”. After the U.S. group made improvements and a new deletion functionality have introduced, will there be further talks. “However, we would submit it to this year’s results.” The Federal cartel office will examine whether the world’s largest Internet network of its market power abused.
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