Regulatory Perceptions of Marketing: Interpreting U.K. Competition Authority Investigations from 1950 to 2005

Abstract

This study quantifies the link between marketing and rulings on competition or antitrust law made by U.K. competition authorities. To determine whether differences in competition systems influence how marketing actions are interpreted by a European Union competition agency, the authors conduct a comprehensive examination of U.K. competition rulings from 1950 to 2005. Business activities judged to be permissible in the United States and anticompetitive acts in the United Kingdom and European Union occur frequently and are closely linked to marketing behaviors in U.K. competition investigations. The authors conclude that marketers in international firms need to develop a greater awareness of different national competition law systems and to contribute more to the ongoing discussion about the present and future form of competition policy.