The EU’s powerful competition authority Monday imposed a €12.5m ($14m) fine on US sports apparel giant Nike for restricting cross-border sales in Europe of jerseys and scarves of top football teams.
According to the European Commission, Nike imposed illegal licensing deals on merchandise from clubs such as FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, Inter Milan and AS Roma, as well as national federations, including World Cup winners, France.
“Today’s decision makes sure that retailers and consumers can take full advantage of one of the main benefits of the Single Market,” European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement. Read more