Four closely related companies operating a business directory scam were ordered to pay an administrative monetary penalty (“AMP”) of $8 million as well as pay restitution to everyone who paid them any money. Two individuals behind the companies were ordered to pay AMPs of $500,000 each, and a third individual was ordered to pay $35,000. [...]

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In a recent decision, the Federal Court of Appeal left open the possibility that the discoverability principle may apply to the two-year limitation period established for private actions under section 36 of the Competition Act, but confirmed that the effects of a conspiracy are not a part of the offence and thus do not extend [...]

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Ontario's top court recently allowed parts of a claim that the Competition Bureau defamed suspects when it an announced bid-rigging charges against them to proceed to trial. In February 2009, the Bureau announced that criminal bid-rigging charges had been laid against 14 individuals and seven companies accusing them of rigging bids for federal government contracts. [...]

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The Competition Bureau announced on February 7, 2012, that the pre-merger notification transaction size threshold will increase to $77 million, likely as of February 11, 2012. The party size threshold remains set at $400 million. Generally speaking, parties to proposed mergers must notify the Bureau in advance of closing where: The transaction relates to an [...]

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On February 6, 2012, the Competition Bureau announced that it would start publishing monthly reports of concluded merger reviews. The reports will include the names of the parties, the industry sector involved, and the result of the Bureau's review. The Bureau has even published a sample report involving a fictitious transaction.

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