Latest news with #FairTradeCommission
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Google plans to launch standalone YouTube subscription in S. Korea
Google plans to launch a standalone premium subscription plan for YouTube video streaming without the music streaming component in South Korea, as part of a voluntary corrective measure to address its alleged anti-competitive practice, the country's antitrust regulator said on Tuesday. The standalone product, dubbed YouTube Premium Lite, will be nearly half the price of that of the currently existing YouTube Premium plan, which bundles both video and music streaming features, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), reports Yonhap News Agency. Android users can subscribe to YouTube Premium Lite for 8,500 won (US$6.15) per month, while the monthly price for iOS users was set at 10,900 won, the FTC said, noting the prices are cheaper compared with equivalent YouTube subscription plans in six other countries, including the United States and Britain. The new subscription plan was proposed as Google's corrective action plan to address its anti-competitive practice of bundling YouTube Music with the video streaming platform's ad-free premium subscription service. Following Google's launch of such a product in 2020, the FTC began an investigation into the U.S. tech giant's alleged violation of Korea's fair trade rules in 2023. The FTC has accused Google of effectively forcing consumers to subscribe to both services, limiting options for those who may have only wanted access to ad-free video streaming, thereby restricting consumer choice and abusing its market dominance. Rather than pursuing a prolonged legal battle, Google has submitted a corrective action plan of launching the standalone video streaming subscription plan under the FTC's procedure known as a "consent decision." The mechanism allows the FTC to suspend its investigation if the company voluntarily proposes measures that address the alleged consumer harm. The FTC said it plans to collect opinions from relevant ministries and stakeholders over a 30-day period until Aug. 14 before making a final decision on whether to accept Google's proposal. If the FTC endorses the proposal, Google plans to launch the YouTube Premium Lite plan within the end of this year. Under the proposal, Google said it will freeze the price for YouTube Premium Lite and YouTube Premium for at least one year to lower the financial burden on its users. The U.S. company also said it will create a 15 billion-won fund to support the growth of the Korean music industry by discovering new artists and helping their participation in overseas music festivals.
Japan Times
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Times
FTC mulling fines on Harley-Davidson Japan
Japan's Fair Trade Commission is considering fining the Japanese unit of U.S. motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson over imposing excessive sales quotas on dealers, informed sources said. The FTC is mulling a surcharge of some ¥200 million ($1.4 million) on Harley-Davidson Japan over abusing a superior bargaining position, in violation of the antimonopoly law. It is also considering a cease-and-desist order against the firm, which has already been notified of the planned penalty. The antimonopoly watchdog will make a final decision after hearing opinions. According to the sources, Harley-Davidson Japan unilaterally set sales targets for new motorcycles at dozens of dealer stores in Japan since January 2023 at the latest. The targets were difficult to achieve under normal operations, and the company suggested that it would not renew contracts if certain target achievement rates were not met. Some dealers purchased motorcycles under their own names or the names of staff members to meet the targets. They were forced to sell such motorcycles to customers at a lower price than for new vehicles as the bikes had already been registered after the initial purchase. The stores are believed to have felt pressured to comply with Harley-Davidson Japan's demands to continue dealings with it. The antimonopoly law prohibits companies in a superior bargaining position from using it to unfairly disadvantage their business partners. According to the Japan Automobile Importers Association, Harley-Davidson was the most common brand of newly registered imported small motorcycles in Japan in fiscal 2024, with a 30.6% market share. It topped the list in fiscal 2023 as well.
Japan Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Supermarket operator Lopia probed over unfair trade
The Fair Trade Commission has conducted on-site inspections of the headquarters of supermarket operator Lopia and related locations on suspicion of unfair trade practices involving suppliers, informed sources said Monday. According to the sources, Lopia had its suppliers dispatch workers to its stores to perform tasks related to product displays, sales support and product restocking without compensation on the occasion of store openings and refurbishment from at least 2022. Suppliers are believed to have suffered disadvantages that exceeded the benefits of opportunities to promote their own products because they often had to display other companies' products as well. Given their relations with Lopia, suppliers had little choice but to accede to the company's request. As such, Lopia is being investigated for abusing its dominant position, an offense under the antimonopoly law. Lopia, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, has opened some 50 stores across the country since September 2022 and plans to open more. The rapid growth boosted its workload, which it may have been passed on to suppliers. According to its website and other information, Lopia operates 118 stores in 19 prefectures, as well as seven stores in Taiwan. Its overall sales reached about ¥320 billion ($2.2 billion) in the year ended February 2024.
Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Temu hit with landmark fine in South Korea over ‘deceptive' reward game
SEJONG, (South Korea), June 11 — South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Wednesday it has fined Temu for misleading South Korean consumers through deceptive promotional campaigns, marking the first regulatory sanction imposed on the Chinese e-commerce platform by the agency, Yonhap News Agency reported. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said it has imposed a fine of 357 million won (US$260,000) on Temu for violating the law governing fair advertising, along with an order for corrective measures. The watchdog said Temu advertised that users could easily receive cash-equivalent reward points by simply tapping a roulette-style game. However, in reality, users were required to fulfil complex conditions, such as inviting multiple friends, in order to receive the rewards. 'Consumers typically decide whether to participate in such promotions based on initial advertising messages,' an FTC official said. 'But in Temu's case, they could only discover the actual requirements after investing a significant amount of time and effort.' Separately, the FTC imposed a fine of 1 million won on Temu for violating the commerce act that requires platform operators to display their business identity information and terms of service clearly on the first page of the website. — Bernama-Yonhap
Korea Herald
11-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
FTC prepares to expand as Lee vows crackdown on unfair corporate practices
New administration aims to tighten oversight of platform giants, chaebol groups accused of unfair market dominance President Lee Jae-myung's recent call to strengthen the Fair Trade Commission is expected to accelerate regulatory scrutiny of unfair practices by major platform operators and conglomerates, particularly those impacting small and medium-sized enterprises. The antitrust regulator has begun internal discussions to identify areas where personnel reinforcements are most needed, according to industry sources on Wednesday. The move follows President Lee's first Cabinet meeting last week, where he highlighted the need to expand the agency's workforce as part of the administration's broader government restructuring agenda. As of the end of 2023, the FTC's civil servant headcount stood at 650 -- ranking 19th out of 27 agencies under the Prime Minister's Office. That figure is equivalent to roughly 60 percent of the 1,109 employees at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. 'In line with the president's directive, we are currently identifying which divisions require additional staffing and to what extent,' an FTC official said. 'The process will take time due to the need for statistical analysis and internal assessments.' Observers within and outside the government speculate that President Lee is particularly focused on expediting investigations into platform-related abuses. During his campaign, he pledged to bolster protections for platform-affiliated merchants and to reinforce the social and economic accountability of tech giants. The administration is also expected to revive legislative discussions about the proposed 'Online Platform Fairness Act,' which aims to establish legal frameworks for regulating online marketplaces. Sources close to the matter suggest that it could lead to the creation of a dedicated 'online platform bureau' within the FTC to centralize related cases and policymaking. Lee Jung-hee, a professor at the School of Economics at Chung-Ang University and a former non-standing commissioner of the FTC, expressed support for the new administration's policy direction but emphasized that stronger enforcement capabilities are needed for the antitrust regulator to gain momentum. 'I believe the policy measures announced by the new government are promising,' Lee said. 'However, investigations should not be limited to filed complaints. Without sufficient personnel, such efforts could diminish, weakening the agency's responsiveness.' Highlighting the growing significance of digital platforms, Lee proposed the creation of a dedicated division within the FTC. 'As platform-related cases are rapidly increasing, it's time to establish a specialized platform bureau similar to the business group monitoring bureau that was introduced under the Moon Jae-in administration,' he said. At the same time, enforcement actions by the FTC's business group monitoring bureau -- launched under the Moon Jae-in administration to pursue chaebol reform -- are expected to gain momentum. President Lee has consistently advocated for stricter oversight of intra-group transactions and abuse of market dominance by conglomerate owners, particularly where such behavior disadvantages small-scale market participants. The FTC is currently investigating allegations involving major platform firms such as Baemin and Coupang Eats over their preferential treatment requirements, as well as Coupang's delayed merchant settlements. Among large business groups, CJ, HDC Hyundai Development and Lotte are undergoing probes for suspected unfair internal support schemes. Lee Hwang, dean of the Korea University School of Law, said the eventual content of the Online Platform Fairness Act will serve as a litmus test for the administration's fair economy agenda. 'The president's intent to simultaneously promote fairness and growth through market autonomy is clear,' he said. 'To that end, the FTC will inevitably need to play a more prominent role and its influence over the economy's fairness is likely to expand significantly.'
