How the Qihoo v Tencent case affects China's anti-monopoly regime
Guangdong Higher People's Court has ruled against Qihoo in a dispute over market dominance. The Court's comprehensive 80-page decision shows that it is taking anti-monopoly cases seriously
In a battle between two of China's largest internet companies – Qihoo 360 and Tencent – the Guangdong Higher People's Court held that Tencent had not abused its market dominance under the PRC Anti-monopoly Law (中华人民共和国反垄断法).
The Court released its decision on March 28, almost 18 months after Qihoo filed the lawsuit accusing Tencent of abusive practices and seeking damages of Rmb150 million ($24 million). Qihoo maintains that Tencent abused its dominant market position by introducing bundle sales to prevent users from installing Qihoo's antivirus software.
The case has attracted much attention from practitioners as this is the first antitrust case to be heard by a higher people's court. It has also sparked interest from the public as both companies have hundreds of millions of users.
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