Antitrust Opens Probe into Morellato’s Business Practices

Rome: Italy’s Antitrust Authority said on Tuesday that it has opened an investigation into the possible breach of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which prohibits cartels and other agreements hindering competition by Italian jewellery and watch group Morellato.

According to Ansa News Agency, Morellato is suspected of forging commercial agreements not allowing its authorized distributors to sell their products on e-commerce websites and on third platforms.

Morellato, the primary operator in the production, commercialization, and sale of jewellery and watches both through its brand and through other labels, as owner and brand operator allegedly stipulated selective agreements in which it explicitly ordered distributors not to use marketplaces for the sale of its products, reserving for itself the right of choosing online platforms, including dedicated e-stores, such as Amazon, according to the authority.