South Africa’s Competition Commission is waiting for a court decision on a bid to preserve its powers to amend cases.

Melanie Aitken, commissioner of competition at Canada’s Competition Bureau, says the enforcer plans to close four of its legacy cartel cases by 1 April if there is no further progress in the investigations. Ron Knox in Vancouver

Three chemical rubber companies have lost their appeal to annul an antitrust fine issued by the European Commission.

Switzerland’s Competition Commission (COMCO) has opened an investigation of 12 banks over allegedly conspiring to manipulate interest rates used in interbank loans.

Chile’s National Competition Tribunal (TDLC) has fined two of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies US$38 million for colluding to fix the price of drugs. It is the largest penalty ever imposed by the authority.

Two automotive parts manufacturers have agreed to pay a total of US$548 million in fines and four executives will serve prison terms in what has become the largest antitrust investigation, in both scope and economic impact, in US history.

Bonn’s district court has denied Pfleiderer access to key leniency documents from a cartel investigation by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO), reigniting the debate over whether victims of cartels should be entitled to access confidential information to strengthen their case.

The Paris Court of Appeal yesterday confirmed a decision by France’s former Competition Council to fine 15 perfume manufacturers and distributors for vertical price fixing, in the latest stage of a case that dates back to 1999.

The US judge hearing an antitrust lawsuit brought against seven Silicon Valley companies for their “non-poaching” agreements has said she will allow the case to go forward, but might break it into separate suits.

Denmark’s Competition and Consumer Authority has found that a majority of real estate businesses in the country agreed to boycott a property search website.

Four dynamic random access memory (DRAM) manufacturers have reached a US$175,000 settlement with Connecticut's attorney general, George Jepsen.

Plaintiffs have presented new evidence of “non-poaching” agreements between Apple and other high-tech Silicon Valley companies, in a US antitrust class action in California, including emails in which Palm’s chief-executive told Apple’s Steve Jobs that the practice was “likely illegal”.

US plaintiffs suing the country’s largest publishing companies have filed an amendment to their original complaint which contains new allegations and details how the alleged price-fixing conspiracy regarding e-books unfolded.

Spain’s National Competition Commission (CNC) has fined motorcycle manufacturers Honda and Suzuki €4 million for colluding to exchange price information.