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The subject of competition law disputes are often violations of Market conduct rules. When exactly a statutory provision is considered such a market conduct rule is regularly disputed. In this non-exhaustive but constantly updated list of examples of market conduct rules in competition law, we attempt to organize and present the relevant case law.
Product-specific regulations as market conduct rules in competition law
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The limit values for the mercury content in fluorescent tubes set out in Section 5 (2) ElektroG aF (now Section 3 ElektroStoffV) in conjunction with Annex II of Directive 2011/65/EU also have consumer protection functions and are to be qualified as a market conduct rule (OLG Karlsruhe, judgment of January 30, 2015, Ref.: 4 U 266/13).
The substance bans contained in Section 5 (1) sentence 1 ElektroG aF and in Section 4 (1) in conjunction with Section 3 (1) no. 1 ElektroStoffV constitute market conduct regulations insofar as they also serve to protect health and consumers (BGH, judgment of September 21, 2016, case reference: I ZR 234/15).
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The provisions of §§ 24, 28 NBauO, according to which the use of non-regulated construction products requires the granting of a general building authority approval and proof of compliance of the specific product with the approval, are market conduct regulations (BGH, judgment of October 20, 2005, case reference: I ZR 10/03).
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The provisions of Section 21 (1) AMG and Section 3a sentence 1 HWG, according to which only approved medicinal products may be marketed and advertised, constitute market conduct regulations within the meaning of Section 4 No. 11 UWG (BGH, judgment of June 25, 2015, Ref.: I ZR 11/14).
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Section 3 (1) and (2) no. 1 HWG and Section 8 (1) no. 2 AMG are market conduct regulations, as these provisions are intended to protect human health and thus consumer protection (BGH, judgment of May 7, 2015, Ref.: I ZR 29/14).
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The provision of Section 19 (3) TabakerzG is, like its predecessor provision of Section 21a (4) TabakerzG, a market conduct rule (OLG Koblenz, judgment of August 14, 2019, Ref.: 9 U 825/19).
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The labeling regulations under food law (Section 3 (1) no. 3 and 4, (3) sentences 1 and 2, Section 7 (2) LMKV, Section 5 (7) NKV) are market conduct regulations (BGH, judgment of November 22, 2012, case reference: I ZR 72/11).
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The provision of Section 7 sentence 1 ElektroG constitutes a market conduct rule within the meaning of Section 4 no. 11 UWG insofar as it aims to protect competitors from being charged higher disposal costs as a result of unmarked electrical appliances by other market participants (BGH, judgment of July 9, 2015, case no. I ZR 224/13).
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According to Section 5a (2) and (4) UWG, a real estate agent is obliged to state the energy consumption of the building in a real estate advertisement if an energy certificate is available. To this end, the advertisement must contain the information listed in Section 16 (1) sentence 1 no. 1 to 5 EnEV (BGH, judgment of October 5, 2017, case reference: I ZR 232/16).
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The sales restrictions of the law on the protection of minors for goods and services are market conduct regulations (BGH, judgment of October 18, 2007, Ref.: I ZR 102/05).
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The licensing provisions of the Plant Protection Act were enacted to protect consumers and are therefore (also) intended to regulate market behavior in the interests of market participants (OLG Cologne, judgment of April 27, 2005, Ref.: 6 U 179/04).
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Provisions that regulate the labeling of textile products are, in principle, market conduct regulations that serve to protect consumers (BGH, judgment of 24 March 2016, case reference: I ZR 7/15).
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§ Section 6 VerpackG constitutes a market conduct rule. However, the take-back and recycling obligations regulated in § 6 VerpackV have a clear effect on the behavior of manufacturers and distributors on the sales market (BGH, judgment of June 29, 2006, case reference: I ZR 172/03).
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The obligation imposed on manufacturers and dealers in Section 1 (1), Section 5 (1) Pkw-EnVKV to ensure that the advertising materials they use contain information on the official fuel consumption and the official specific CO2 emissions of the relevant models of new passenger cars in accordance with Section I of Annex 4 constitutes a market conduct rule (BGH, judgment of February 4, 2010, Ref.: I ZR 66/09).
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Regulations with regard to advertising as market conduct rules in competition law
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The provision in Section 2 (1) sentence 1 PAngV, according to which anyone who offers consumers goods in pre-packaged or open packs or as sales units without wrapping by weight, volume, length or area on a commercial or business basis or regularly in any other way, must also indicate the price per unit of quantity including VAT and other price components (basic price) in the immediate vicinity of the total price (Section 1 (1) sentence 1 PAngV) in addition to the total price (Section 1 (1) sentence 1 PAngV). 1 sentence 1 PAngV) must also indicate the price per unit of quantity including VAT and other price components (basic price) in the immediate vicinity of the total price constitutes a rule of market conduct (BGH, judgment of March 28, 2019, case no.: I ZR 85/18).
§ Section 1 (1) sentence 1 PAngV is a provision that is also intended to regulate market conduct in the interests of market participants (BGH, judgment of 14 January 2016, case reference: I ZR 61/14). According to the Berlin Court of Appeal, a breach of the provision of Section 1 (4) PAngV does not constitute a rule of market conduct (judgment of June 21, 2017, case no.: 5 U 185/16).
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Prohibitions on general terms and conditions in Sections 307, 308 No. 1, Section 309 No. 7a BGB constitute market conduct regulations (BGH, judgment of May 31, 2012, Ref. I ZR 45/11).
The provisions of Section 475 (1) sentence 1 BGB on the exclusion of warranty, Section 477 (1) BGB on the guarantee declaration and Sections 312c, 355 BGB on the duty to provide information in distance selling contracts are market conduct regulations (BGH, judgment of May 31, 2012, case no. I ZR 45/11).
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The provision of Section 5 (1) No. 2 TMG constitutes a market conduct rule (BGH, judgment of February 25, 2016, case reference: I ZR 238/14).
§§ Sections 12, 13 TMG are market conduct rules (ECJ, judgment of July 29, 2019, ref.: C-40/17; OLG Hamburg, judgment of June 27, 2013, ref.: 3 U 26/12; OLG Cologne, judgment of March 11, 2016, ref.: 6 U 121/15).
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§ Section 312d (1) BGB, Art. 246a §§ 1, 3 and 4 EGBGB are market conduct regulations (see BGH, judgment of April 29, 2010, Ref.: I ZR 66/08; OLG Hamm, judgment of November 19, 2013, Ref.: 4 U 65/13).
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Professional and legal regulations as market conduct rules in competition law
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§ Section 18 RettG NW is a market conduct rule. The obligation to obtain a permit for ambulance transports within the meaning of Section 2 (2) RettG NW regulated in this provision not only regulates market entry, but also market conduct to protect patients in need of transport and competitors who have to purchase ambulances at considerable expense and employ suitable personnel (OLG Hamm, judgment of November 17, 2005, Ref.: 4 U 105/05).
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The provision of Section 34d GewO is a market conduct rule (BGH, judgment of November 28, 2013, Ref.: I ZR 7/13).
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§ Section 4 (2) JMStV and Section 184c StGB are market conduct regulations (BGH, judgment of October 18, 2007, Ref.: I ZR 165/05).
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Section 3a HWG is a market conduct rule (BGH, judgment of March 30, 2006, Ref.: I ZR 24/03).
§ Section 27 (3) of the Professional Code of Conduct of the Westphalia-Lippe Medical Association is a rule of market conduct (Dortmund Regional Court, judgment of April 21, 2016, Ref.: 16 O 61/15).
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The provisions of Section 78 (2) sentences 2 and 3, (3) sentence 1 AMG, Section 1 (1) and 4, Section 3 AMPreisV constitute market conduct rules (BGH, judgment of September 9, 2010, case reference: I ZR 193/07).
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The provision of Section 10 AMG constitutes a market conduct rule within the meaning of Section 3a UWG (BGH, judgment of December 13, 2012, case no. I ZR 161/11).
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The ban on dispensing prescription-only medicines without a prescription set out in Section 48 AMG is a market conduct rule (BGH, judgment of January 8, 2015, Ref.: I ZR 123/13).
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The purpose of the provision in Section 39 (3) PBefG is, among other things, to prevent unfair and ruinous competition between the respective passenger transport companies. This is a rule of market conduct (LG Hamburg, judgment of September 15, 2015, Ref.: 312 O 225/15).
The provisions of Section 47 (2) sentences 1 and 2 PBefG are market conduct rules (BGH, judgment of October 18, 2012, case reference: I ZR 191/11).
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The minimum price provisions of the RVG are market conduct rules (on the Lawyers’ Fees Act: BGH, judgment of June 1, 2006, case no.: I ZR 268/03).
Pursuant to Section 5 (2) sentence 1 GOÄ, the dentist must determine the fees within the fee range at his reasonable discretion, taking into account the difficulty and time required for the individual service as well as the circumstances in which it is performed. This constitutes a market conduct regulation (OLG Cologne, judgment of December 14, 2012, Ref.: 6 U 108/12).
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§ Section 11 ApoG is a market conduct rule (OLG Karlsruhe, judgment of June 14, 2013, Ref. 4 U 254/12).
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The provisions of the professional regulations for doctors are standards that are also intended to regulate market behavior in the interests of market participants (OLG Cologne, judgment of November 4, 2005, Ref.: 6 U 46/05)
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Provisions from the areas of tax law and social law are for the most part not market conduct rules (BGH, judgment of December 2, 2009, ref.: I ZR 152/07; BGH, judgment of December 1, 2016, Ref.: I ZR 143/15). One of the exceptions concerns the ban on selling below the retail price in accordance with Section 24 of the German Tobacco Tax Act (OLG Frankfurt, decision of June 2, 2004, ref.: 6 W 79/04), as this is a price regulation.
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