Archive for the 'Immunity Program' Category
August 17, 2025
On August 14, 2025, Canada’s federal Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that it had issued new guidance for companies and others to develop competition law compliance programs (see: “Develop a compliance program for your business in 10 easy steps!”).
In general, the Bureau has published on its Compliance Bootcamp web page videos describing competition law compliance programs, its recommended ten steps to develop a credible and effective compliance program and recommendations to comply with many of the core criminal and civil provisions of the Competition Act including abuse of dominance (sections 78 and 79), bid-rigging (section 47), deceptive marketing (under Parts VI and VII.1), exclusive dealing / tied selling / market restriction (section 77), mergers (Parts VIII and IX), price-fixing (section 45), refusal to deal (section 75), price maintenance (section 76) and wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements (section 45(1.1)).
June 20, 2024
On June 20, 2024, Bill C-59 was passed, introducing the second of two recent significant rounds of amendments to Canada’s federal Competition Act (the first round introduced by Bill C-56).
This new round of amendments to the Competition Act completes a sweeping overhaul of Canada’s Competition Act across virtually all key provisions of Canada’s competition legislation. These amendments are also the most significant changes to Canadian competition law since the modern Competition Act came into effect in 1986 replacing the former Combines Investigation Act.
June 24, 2023
On June 21, 2023, Canada’s federal Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that Canada Bread had been sentenced by the Ontario Superior Court to a CDN $50 million fine after pleading guilty to fixing wholesale bread prices in Canada.
This recent Canadian criminal price-fixing fine is the highest price-fixing fine imposed by a Canadian court to date. For more information, see: Canada Bread sentenced to $50 million fine after pleading guilty to fixing wholesale bread prices (June 21, 2023). For more information about criminal price-fixing under the Competition Act in Canada, see: Conspiracy (Cartels).
May 21, 2023
On June 23, 2023, criminal amendments to the Competition Act will come into force. These amendments were enacted on June 23, 2022, as part of Bill C-19, the Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No.1.
They introduced sweeping amendments to Canada’s federal Competition Act, including significant increases to the civil and criminal penalties, new prohibitions on drip pricing and expansion of private right of access to the Competition Tribunal for abuse of dominance, among other things. For more information, see: Sweeping Canadian Competition Act Amendments Passed.
May 15, 2023
Practical Law Canada Competition, of which I am Lawyer Editor, has published a new Legal Update that discusses the Competition Bureau’s new online Competition Compliance Portal, which replaces its former Corporate Compliance Programs Bulletin.
Below is an excerpt with a link to the full Legal Update.
**********
This Legal Update discusses the Competition Bureau’s (Bureau) new Compliance Portal, which updates its competition law compliance program guidance from its former Corporate Compliance Programs Bulletin. The Update discusses the Bureau’s new Compliance Portal, key changes from its former compliance program guidance and compliance implications for companies and other organizations that need to comply with Canadian competition laws.
January 31, 2023
Practical Law Canada Competition, of which I am Lawyer Editor, has published a new Legal Update that discusses new proposed Competition Bureau guidelines on wage fixing and no-poaching agreements under section 45 of the Canadian Competition Act.
Below is an excerpt with a link to the full Legal Update.
January 10, 2022
Practical Law Canada Competition, of which I am Lawyer Editor, published a new Legal Update, which discusses the Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s decision to partially certify a class action in relation to sections 45 and 46 of the Competition Act for packaged bread in Canada. Below is an excerpt with a link to Practical Law’s full Legal Update.
December 2, 2021
The federal Competition Act can apply to many trade and professional association activities in Canada, including board and membership meetings, membership criteria and discipline, member surveys and benchmarking, association codes of conduct and dealings with suppliers and customers. While trade associations can, and frequently do, serve many legitimate purposes, since trade and professional association activities typically involve direct interaction between competitors, it is prudent for association executives, members and their advisors to take basic steps to proactively reduce potential competition law risk.
Templates/precedents and checklists to run promotional contests in Canada
Templates/precedents and checklists to comply with Canadian anti-spam law (CASL)
