Tag Archives: competition law

September 24, 2024

Cineplex Inc. Ordered to Pay $38.9 Million By Canada’s Competition Tribunal for Drip Pricing

On September 23, 2024, Canada’s Competition Bureau announced that the federal Competition Tribunal had found that Cineplex Inc. (Cineplex), a Canadian theatre chain, had engaged in drip pricing by adding a mandatory and insufficiently disclosed $1.50 online booking fee (see: Competition Bureau wins deceptive marketing … Read the rest of this entry »

July 1, 2024

2024 Competition Act Amendments (Bill C-59): Increased Risks for Advertisers for False or Misleading Price, Regular Price and Sale Claims

OVERVIEW OF BILL C-59 AMENDMENTS TO THE COMPETITION ACT On June 20, 2024, Bill C-59 was passed, which introduced the third of three recent significant rounds of amendments to Canada’s federal Competition Act (together with amendments that were passed in June 2022 and December 2023). This third round of … Read the rest of this entry »

May 16, 2024

New Competition Bureau Drip Pricing Guidance

On May 15, 2024, the Canadian Competition Bureau issued new guidance on drip pricing under the federal Competition Act (see: The Ambush of Hidden Fees). In making the announcement, the Competition Bureau said: “Saving money can be challenging these days. Especially when you are buying … Read the rest of this entry »

October 5, 2023

Dufresne Group Settles Ordinary Selling Price (OSP) and Urgency Cue Marketing Case with Competition Bureau For $3.25 Million

On September 27, 2023, the Canadian Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that the Dufresne Group Inc. (TDG) (Dufresne Group), based in Manitoba, had agreed to settle an ordinary selling price (OSP) and urgency cue marketing related case for CDN $3.25 million (see: Competition Bureau, News Release, … Read the rest of this entry »

May 17, 2023

New Competition Bureau Compliance Portal: Canadian Advertising/Marketing Law Compliance Guidance

In March 2023, Canada’s federal Competition Bureau (Bureau) launched a new competition law Compliance Portal (see: Consultation on new Compliance Portal). In making its announcement, the Bureau said that it launched its new Compliance Portal to help businesses stay on the right side of Canadian … Read the rest of this entry »

May 3, 2023

Competition Commissioner Argues Key Canadian Markets Are Highly Concentrated and Again Advocates for Stage II Competition Act Amendments

On May 2, 2023, Canada’s Globe and Mail published an opinion by Canada’s Commissioner of Competition (Commissioner), Matthew Boswell, arguing that key Canadian consumer markets are highly concentrated and urging for another new round of Competition Act reform. In this regard, in general, the Commissioner … Read the rest of this entry »

April 17, 2023

New Competition Bureau Guidance on Drip Pricing Advertising Claims

On April 17, 2023 the Competition Bureau (Bureau) published a new edition of its Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest (Volume 6) (Marketing Digest). The Bureau’s new Marketing Digest discusses three Canadian advertising/marketing related topics: the use of scarcity cues (i.e., claims that an offering has limited availability), … Read the rest of this entry »

March 28, 2023

Competition Bureau Publishes Sweeping Recommendations for Canadian Competition Law Reform

Practical Law Canada Competition, of which I am Lawyer Editor, has published a new Legal Update that discusses the Competition Bureau’s sweeping submission to the Canadian government in response to the government’s public consultation on amendments to the Competition Act. Below is an excerpt with … Read the rest of this entry »