UK law
DBT and DCMS launch consultation on ticket resale price cap and calls for evidence on dynamic pricing
The Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are consulting about measures to regulate the ticket resale market. The consultation proposes a cap on resale ticket prices, ranging from the original price to a 30% uplift, and limits on the number of tickets resellers can list. The government also proposes new legal obligations for ticket resale platforms, a review of existing legislation with potential stronger fines, and a possible licensing regime for resale platforms. The government has also called for evidence about pricing practices in the live events sector, including dynamic pricing. The consultation ends on 4 April 2025.
UK government issues call for evidence on energy smart data scheme
The central objective of Smart Data is to give customers control over the use of their own data, so that they can access useful, innovative and personalised products and services from third party providers that cater to their needs. A Smart Data scheme is the overarching trust framework and structure that provides the rules, standards and agreements that governs data sharing between customers, third parties and data holders. The UK government has launched a call for evidence seeking views on the current energy landscape and the potential scope, opportunities, barriers and risks to developing an energy smart data scheme. This includes seeking views on: what can be learnt from existing Smart Data schemes in the UK and abroad; how to foster customer trust, ensure customers are protected and encourage industry participation; how to define the scope of a scheme – for example, the customer groups, potential use cases and datasets that should be included; how to design a scheme that is suitable for the specific needs of the energy sector, while also supporting interoperability and cross-sector alignment; and how to implement and deliver a scheme in the wider context of other industry initiatives to support the transition to clean power. The call for evidence ends on 10 March 2025.
European Commission approves Synopsys’ acquisition of Ansys
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Ansys, Inc. by Synopsys, Inc. This depends on the parties complying with the commitments they have offered. The Commission investigated the impact of the transaction in the global markets for the supply of: (i) optics software; (ii) photonics software; and (iii) electronic design automation (EDA) software tools used to design chips, where Synopsys and Ansys’s activities actually or potentially overlap. The Commission also assessed the merged entity’s potential ability and incentive to offer bundles or to hamper the interoperability of: (i) different EDA software tools; or (ii) EDA software tools and semiconductor intellectual property solutions for system-on-chip designs, of which Synopsys is a leading provider. The Commission’s investigation showed that although the companies’ activities are largely complementary, the transaction, as initially notified, would have reduced competition in certain markets. The Commission found that, after the merger, there would not be enough alternative competitors to exert sufficient competitive pressure on the merged entity. The transaction, as notified, would have led to higher prices and less choice for customers. To address the Commission’s competition concerns, the parties offered to divest to a suitable purchaser the entire overlap in the merging parties’ respective activities in the markets where the Commission identified significant competition concerns. The commitments fully address the competition concerns by ensuring that there will be sufficient competition and choice in the global markets for the supply of optics, photonics and register-transfer-level power consumption analysis software. The Commission will approve a suitable purchaser of the divested businesses in a separate procedure. Synopsys can only implement the acquisition of Ansys following that approval. Under the supervision of the Commission, an independent trustee will monitor the implementation of the commitments. The UK’s CMA also considers that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the undertakings offered by Synopsys and Ansys or a modified version of them, might be accepted by the CMA under the Enterprise Act 2002.
