Newsletter No. 142
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FreePint
"Helping 61,000 people use the Web for their work"
http://www.freepint.com/
ISSN 1460-7239 7th August 2003 No.142
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IN THIS ISSUE
EDITORIAL
MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Rita Vine
FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
JOBS
Business Researcher
Information Services Manager
Media Manager
TIPS ARTICLE
"The Safety of Children on the Internet"
By Alison Scammell
BOOKSHELF
"The Accidental Webmaster"
Reviewed by Stuart Cliffe
FEATURE ARTICLE
"Competition Law Resources Online"
By Jonathan Crowhurst
EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
CONTACT INFORMATION
ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/070803.htm>
FULLY FORMATTED VERSION
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>> ONLINE INFORMATION CONFERENCE <<
2-4 December 2003, Olympia, London, UK
Book your place NOW to benefit from Super Early Bird Discounts!
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/conferenceregistration.html>
Hear international leaders share insight, experience and often
controversial thinking on information management, content management,
searching, collaboration, digital libraries & info architecture
<http://www.online-information.co.uk/ol03/conference.html>
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>>> ABOUT FREEPINT <<<
FreePint is an online network of information searchers. Members
receive this free newsletter twice a month: it is packed with tips
on finding quality and reliable business information on the Internet.
Joining is free at <http://www.freepint.com/> and provides access to
a substantial archive of articles, reviews, jobs & events, with
answers to research questions and networking at the FreePint Bar.
Please circulate this newsletter which is best read when printed out.
To receive a fully formatted version as an attachment or a brief
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EDITORIAL
Branding is tricky. Re-branding is even trickier. Because names and
logos are so important, everyone has an opinion about them. Re-branding
also seems to take an age, and is even slower when done by committee.
We started thinking about a new logo and look for FreePint about two
years ago. We worked our way through five sets of designers before
finally finding one who understands what we are about. All this
happened behind the scenes and without a committee, and even then it
was a difficult process.
So, when my colleague Annabel Colley and I were in New York recently
for the annual information industry conference organised by the SLA,
we were sympathetic about the difficulties they would face in voting
to change the name of the association.
Many of you will know that the name change didn't go through. So we
immediately sought the thoughts of the Chair of the Branding
Taskforce, Stephen Abram, and asked him for his candid views on the
re-branding. He certainly was candid and you can now read the
interview online <http://www.freepint.com/portal/events/sla-2003/>.
As well as the difficulties of branding in the information industry,
Stephen also talked about whether graduates are being given the right
skills and the issues surrounding digital rights management. He also
talked about electronic tagging and how it might one day be used to
identify and track the location of children.
The issue of children's safety on the Internet is also the topic of
our tips article today. It is a must-read for parents concerned about
giving their children access to the Web. There are lots of other great
articles, reviews and tips too, so I hope you enjoy today's edition of
FreePint. If you have thoughts on any of the topics covered today, or
have recently been battling with some re-branding issues yourself,
then do join us at the Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>.
All the best
William
William Hann BSc(Hons) MCLIP
Founder and Managing Editor, FreePint
Email: <william.hann@freepint.com> Tel: +44 (0)1784 420044
Free Pint is a Registered Trademark of Free Pint Limited (R) 1997-2003
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>>> Copyright & the Internet: Myth and Reality <<<
This report explores issues relating to copyright and the internet,
and dispels some of the myths that have built up about how copyright
applies to the internet.
"I found it a very useful summary of the common issues surrounding
copyright. I liked the Q&A format, and the references will
undoubtedly be of use over time. As a topic which will never be far
from my remit, the report is both timely and practical. Definitely
good value for money, particularly the painless way of ordering,
receiving and paying for the title."
<http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/copyrightmyths>
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MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Rita Vine
* Infobel - telephone directories from around the world
<http://www.infobel.com/teldir>. A portal to over 400 free
white and yellow pages from around the world,
with helpful annotations.
* PostalRates.Info <http://www.postalrates.info/> - this site links to
home pages for postal authorities, postal code information and
postal rates for countries around the world.
* Search Engine Colossus <http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/> - an
excellent alternative to Yahoo! for finding regional portal sites.
* Braintrack <http://www.braintrack.com> - provides links to college
and university home pages globally. Often produces faster results
for homepage lookup than typing the name of the institution into
a search engine.
* Yahoo!'s Directory Page <http://dir.yahoo.com> - I still rely on
Yahoo's directory of selected resources and prefer this page to
the cluttered Yahoo! main page. Links to "what's new" for the
previous week appear at the bottom of the page -- great for Web
site selectors.
Rita Vine is a professional librarian and Web search trainer with
Workingfaster.com <http://www.workingfaster.com>. She is also an
editor for the Search Portfolio <http://www.searchportfolio.com>, a
licensed desktop of the 100 top starting points for effective Web
searching.
Submit your top five favourite Web sites. See the guidelines at
<http://www.freepint.com/author.htm>.
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****Subscribe to Factiva's InfoPro Alliance Newsletter****
As a member of the InfoPro Alliance, you will receive our
monthly e-mail newsletter telling you about the latest enhancements to
Factiva.com, product tips, TechTalk and links to our new online
sessions for advanced searchers.
<http://www.factiva.com/infopro>
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FREEPINT BAR
In Association with Factiva
a Dow Jones & Reuters Company
Knowing the make-up of the FreePint membership, it's no surprise that
Knowledge Management (KM) is such a popular topic at the FreePint Bar.
Have you come across 'K-Logging' yet? Do you know what it is?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25009>. Are there any KM-related videos
around? A couple have been suggested but do you know of any more?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b24894>. Could you help someone studying
for a Masters with their survey into how to "... better understand
areas for development to enable the effective use of IT as part of a
KM solution" <http://www.freepint.com/go/b25063>.
The information world (like most others) is filled with acronyms and
jargon, and there have been some interesting views on the meaning of
words describing various information providers, including aggregators,
infomediaries, intermediaries and indexers. Do you have your own view
on their meaning? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b24860>.
Still in the information world, can you help someone wanting to
benchmark their use of Automated Call Distribution (ACD) technology in
their Information Centre? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b24856>.
Talking about IT, do you know of a UK publication that focuses on
technology transfer? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b24973>. Do the
Intranet and Internet teams work together in your organisation?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b25059>.
What about a subscription-based global economic database providing
information such as GDP forecasts, industry growth figures, business
confidence, net direct investment flows, which might also let you
download the data into Excel. Any suggestions?
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b24953>
Finally, and always a popular theme, some suggestions for software and
sites to monitor changes in Web sites automatically
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b24867>.
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The FreePint Bar is where you can get help with your tricky research
questions, for free! <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
Help with study for information-related courses is available at the
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Twice-weekly email digests of the latest postings can be requested
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What is the ResourceShelf?
ResourceShelf is a free daily update containing news of interest
to information professionals around the world.
Topics include the latest news with web search engines, research
tips, new web resources, and much more.
<http://www.resourceshelf.com>
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FREEPINT JOBS
<http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
FreePint Jobs -- the best place for information vacancies.
* VACANCY SEARCHING -- Free search and set up a weekly alert profile.
* VACANCY RECRUITING -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy
for just GBP195 <http://www.freepint.com/jobs/submit/overview.php3>.
NEW: 50% discount for registered charities. 10% agency discount.
This week's selected listings are below. All new jobs are posted to
the Bar and Bar Digest (circulation 11,000+) and matched against the
1000+ live job seeker profiles. This week's Bar 'new jobs' listing is
at <http://www.freepint.com/go/b25058> and last week's at
<http://www.freepint.com/go/b24951>.
Here are some of the latest featured jobs:
Business Researcher (Property)
Information Graduate in enquiry role relating to property and
company information plus statistical, economic and biographic data.
Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2594>
Information Services Manager
Information Services Manager in Law firm - a great opportunity to rise
onward and upward in legal information field.
Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2604>
Media Manager
Implement new technology by enhancing and developing current media
asset management systems.
Recruiter: BBC
<http://www.freepint.com/go/j2612>
[The above jobs are paid listings]
Find out more today at <http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
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TIPS ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/070803.htm#tips>
"The Safety of Children on the Internet"
By Alison Scammell
The issue of the safety of children on the Internet is rarely out of
the headlines. Unsurprisingly, the most pressing concerns relate to
the dangers facing children who use chat rooms. Despite the fact that
such dangers have been very well publicised, it seems that one basic
guideline - not to arrange to meet contacts made online - continues
to be ignored by large numbers of children and young people.
In 2002, a study from the University of Central Lancashire found that
one in ten chat room users, aged between 9 and 16, had attended a
face-to-face meeting with people they had met online. As Rachel
O'Connell, Head of the Cyberspace Research Unit which conducted the
study explained: "Our research indicates that there are thousands of
children in the UK who remain unaware of basic Internet safety
guidelines, despite having access to these new technologies, either at
home or at school. It is essential that we challenge this lack of
knowledge, get the message across to children, teachers, parents and
carers, and help keep children safe".
The dangers of chat rooms are clearly just the tip of the iceberg.
Other issues include inappropriate Web content and offensive spam
delivered directly to children's email accounts. Excessive
commercialism and advertising, which invade a child's privacy, is also
a cause for concern.
The innocent use of photographs of children on the Internet is another
controversial matter, presenting dilemmas for schools who wish to
publish photographs of school events or achievements. At a purely
practical level, children may be unaware of the dangers of computer
viruses and may be downloading harmful files onto family computers.
So what can parents, carers, teachers and children themselves do to
ensure the Internet is a safe environment, without negating the many
positive benefits that the Web brings? A consensus has emerged on the
range of measures which can help to ensure children's Internet
experiences are safe and positive. These include parental involvement,
codes of safety, filtering/blocking software and chatroom moderation.
This article provides a brief overview of some of the many issues
concerning Internet safety for children.
Parental Involvement
--------------------
This is the starting point for Internet safety. Getting involved in
how and why their children use the Internet (and being able to educate
children in standard Internet safety practices) is considered the most
effective way for children to be protected. The emphasis should be on
the positive aspects of Internet searching rather than a list of
"don'ts". Open communication between children and parents is crucial
as well as the avoidance of knee-jerk reactions such as banning or
unnecessarily limiting access to the Internet. If this happens it is
likely that our children will simply decide to access the Internet in
secret.
As there is no reliable way to protect children completely, the
emphasis must be on educating children in how to behave safely online
and to encourage them to discuss any problems or bad experiences they
encounter. Filtering software is certainly an option in helping to
create a safer Web environment but it is not a perfect solution.
Although widely used in schools, children may use the Internet
elsewhere, at home, friends' houses, cafes or libraries where filters
may not be used. It is therefore preferable to ensure a child is
equipped with the appropriate knowledge and Internet safety awareness
skills.
Another generally accepted piece of advice is for parents to locate
the computer in a communal part of the house, where parents can more
easily supervise online activity. I believe it is also important to
allow children a certain degree of privacy, quiet and some
independence. Achieving this while maintaining a supervisory presence
is not an easy thing to do - but then whoever said parenthood was
easy?
I have found that the discussion on the need for parental involvement
frequently overlooks the fact that so many parents are unfamiliar with
the Internet and may not have easy access to the Web for themselves.
Even parents who are regular Internet users may find it difficult to
keep up with what their Web-savvy kids are doing.
At my own children's school we have been running a series of Internet
training sessions primarily aimed at parents with little or no Web
experience. Most of the attendees had computers at home, but these
were used mainly by their children or partners (the courses were
exclusively attended by mothers) and as a consequence they felt
increasingly out of touch. This initiative, HITS (Highfield
Internet Training Scheme) provides comprehensive training in the
Internet basics as well as Internet safety guidance and advice on the
use of filtering software and other safety tools. By empowering
parents to use the Internet safely and effectively, we have also
provided parents with the opportunity to become more involved in their
children's school work.
Safety Codes
------------
The most frequently cited safety code mnemonic aimed at children is
'SMART'. This varies slightly according to different sources but
generally comprises the following:
S - Keep your personal details SECRET. Never use your parent's credit
card without their permission and never give away your name, address,
passwords or mobile phone number - it's like handing out the keys to
your home.
M - Never MEET someone you have contacted in cyberspace without your
parent's/carer's permission, and then only when they can be present.
A - Don't ACCEPT emails, open attachments or download files from
people or organisations you don't really know or trust - they may
contain viruses or nasty messages.
R - REMEMBER that someone online may not be who they say they are. If
you feel uncomfortable or worried in a chat room simply get out of
there!
T - TELL your parent or carer if someone or something makes you feel
uncomfortable or worried.
Filtering/Blocking Software
---------------------------
Most people agree that the use of filtering software alone does not
represent adequate protection for children. Filtering software either
blocks access to sites on a 'no' list or enables access only to a list
of approved sites. Other filters assess the source of the domain name
or even the amount of skin content in an image. Restricting access to
approved sites may be the most practical and effective way of
controlling Internet access and is probably the most suitable option
for schools.
Filtering software can be very problematic. Its effectiveness can
vary, either by over-blocking content that is inoffensive and
potentially useful, or in failing to adequately screen out unwelcome
material. When evaluating software packages it is also advisable to
check whether filtering can be customised for each user.
Some ISPs offer filtering tools as part of family-friendly branded
products but for the most effective filtering capabilities additional
software will need to be purchased. Packages will offer a range of
features, including Internet monitoring and restricting time spent
online. Guidelines for choosing filtering software can be found at:
<http://www.iwf.org.uk/filtering/commercial_software/its/its_consumer.html>
<http://kids.getnetwise.org/tools/>
Examples of filtering software are:
<http://www.cyberpatrol.com>
<http://www.netnanny.com>
<http://www.cybersitter.com>
It is also possible to set your Web browser to block sites according
to the ICRA (Internet Content Rating Association) label they carry.
ICRA labels are based on the PICS (Platform for Internet Content
Selection) industry standard and the Web site owners can apply for an
ICRA label on their site. For more information, click on 'Parents' and
'About ICRA' at: <http://www.icra.org/>
A good way to help children access suitable sites is to use a search
engine specially designed for children such as:
<http://www.yahooligans.com>
<http://www.ajkids.com/>
Chatroom Moderation
--------------------
Not surprisingly, the use of chat rooms and instant messaging figure
as some of the most important areas for concern for parents.
Monitoring software (such as <http://www.iambigbrother.com>) is
available which allows a parent to check on a child's Internet
activity, including chatroom conversations. However, many people
believe that this simply creates an atmosphere of distrust in the
family and may cause children to use alternative ways to access the
Internet, increasing the risks.
There is a considerable debate about the efficacy of moderating
chatrooms. Some moderation is based on software while other chat rooms
use human moderators. Many people believe that all unmoderated
chatrooms are unsafe but even fully human-moderated chatrooms carry
risks. Chatroom users can still assume false identities and selecting
suitable moderators is not easy - because physical contact with
children is not involved, moderators are currently not required to be
screened for criminal records. Given the complexity of online
transactions, moderation is a highly skilled activity and can never
guarantee 100% safety.
More information about safe use of chatrooms can be found at:
<http://www.chatdanger.com/>
Further Information
-------------------
The safety of children on the Internet is a complex and fast-changing
subject. This article has merely provided an outline of some of the
main issues but further information can be obtained from the following
Web sites:
Home Office: <http://www.wiseuptothenet.co.uk>
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF): <http://www.iwf.org.uk>
Kid Smart: <http://www.kidsmart.org.uk>
Safe Kids: <http://www.safekids.com>
Wise Kids: <http://www.wisekids.org.uk/>
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Alison Scammell runs Just Before Dawn, a specialist editorial agency
providing copywriting services for clients in the IT sector. Using a
combination of in-house and freelance expertise, Just Before Dawn has
supplied case studies, white papers, newsletters and articles to some
of the world's largest computer companies. Contact Alison via
<http://www.justbeforedawn.com>.
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Related FreePint links:
* 'Security' articles and trade associations in the FreePint Portal
<http://www.freepint.com/go/p127>
* Post a message to the author, Alison Scammell, or suggest further
resources at the FreePint Bar <http://www.freepint.com/bar>
* Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/070803.htm#feature>
* Access the entire archive of FreePint content
<http://www.freepint.com/portal/content/>
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>>> UK COMPANY AND DIRECTOR RESEARCH - CROSS-LINKED <<<
So you want to find out who runs a particular company?
Then a bit about where the Directors are based?
Then which other companies they're involved with?
And so the trail unfolds ...
All possible using FreePint Financials. Free to search.
Pay-as-you-go reports. No setup fees. No subscription.
<http://www.freepint.com/icc>
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FREEPINT BOOKSHELF
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
"The Accidental Webmaster"
Written by Julie M. Still
Reviewed by Stuart Cliffe
Someone once pointed out that you need to know 90% of an answer to ask
a sensible question. This seriously affects anyone starting out on any
new venture, since by definition we all start from a zero
knowledge-base, and slowly and painstakingly work up.
I've found a sort of confirmation of this principle in that my
judgement of a really good presentation is often based on how strongly
I feel 'yes but of course I knew that' after the event.
While I may know many of the highlights, the presentation of in-depth,
well-researched knowledge as part of a coherent overall picture -
including the extra 10% I didn't know - is what makes the experience
truly worthwhile.
The Accidental Webmaster by Julie M Still is definitely in the 'good
presentation' category:
Still is the author or editor of four books, and the experience shows;
she writes good, clear text and presents concepts in logical
progression. She is a librarian, and the chapter-by-chapter
'recommended reading' builds to a substantial bibliography of related
material, supported by a Web Resources section.
The Accidental Webmaster takes a situation that is becoming more
common - an individual being asked or led by circumstances to set up a
website - and then uses Ms Still's own experience to flesh out the
bare necessities of finding ISP space and generating content.
Some of the choices she made might have initially been more luck than
judgement, but she has taken the opportunity to look back at all the
options available and decide whether or not she took the right one.
Ms Still has read and interviewed widely on the subject and presents
background detail to support her own experience plus additional
comments in areas where she has not (yet) been active.
This book is not a technical treatise on how to create a home page
with HTML and Java, Flash and MP3s. The nuts and bolts of website
creation have already been covered comprehensively elsewhere, and are
mentioned here only in the context of how to manage their use.
The most important focus of the book is web content: what should be
included and what avoided. How to manage the task - and how to avoid
being buried in the consequent workflow.
Julie Still has created and managed websites very successfully and her
opinions deserve due weight. Additional research allows the book to
cover most types of potential site from boy scout to business, and
most considerations from copyright to chatrooms.
If you have to set up a website, or have been volunteered by the
family or your boss to manage the web content of a group activity,
read this book first.
If you don't already have the technical skills it's fairly easy to
acquire them. The book however will alert you to the wider
implications of what you are about to get involved with.
It may give you some useful ideas, and it will certainly supply a
strong basis for some very sensible questions.
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Stuart Cliffe is CEO of the National Association of Bank + Insurance
Customers, a watchdog group protecting the interests of private and
business users of financial services in the UK. He is a consultant,
writer and presenter on insurance, financial and internet matters and
runs DoubleCheck Ltd, which finds errors in bank/mortgage statements
and traces dormant and unclaimed funds. He is also involved with
<http://www.365-alive.net> - a fixes and information-based technical
website, through which he can be contacted.
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Related FreePint links:
* Find out more about this book online at the FreePint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/accident.htm>
* Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk
<http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573871648/freepint0c>
or Amazon.com
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573871648/freepint00>
* "The Accidental Webmaster" ISBN 1573871648, published by
Information Today Inc, written by Julie M. Still.
* Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the FreePint
Bookshelf at <http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf>
* Read about other Internet Marketing books on the FreePint Bookshelf
<http://www.freepint.com/bookshelf/marketing.htm>
To propose an information-related book for review, send details
to <bookshelf@freepint.com>.
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>>> NEW: 50% Discount for Registered Charity Job Listings <<<
Registered charities can now post their vacancies to the
FreePint Jobs database and receive a 50% discount.
<http://www.freepint.com/jobs>
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FEATURE ARTICLE
<http://www.freepint.com/issues/070803.htm#feature>
"Competition Law Resources Online"
By Jonathan Crowhurst
Until recently I was the Library Assistant for the Competition and
European Law department at a city law firm. In my role I was responsible
for updating our know-how collection -- principally European and UK
legislation pertaining to competition -- maintaining indexes of merger
cases going through the European and UK Competition authorities,
regulatory documents from the various competition authorities at
European and UK level and providing current awareness services, along
with assisting with information requests from fee earners in the
Department.
Competition law is very complex, being directed both at European
parliament level and also at EU Member State level, in this case being
the UK where a number of regulatory bodies deal with competition
issues. In this tips article I want to share some online information
resources for competition law, and attempt to explain who does what in
the system which appears to be a veritable alphabet soup to the
uninitiated.
EU LAW
------
One of my main roles was to keep track of mergers and joint ventures
notified to the European Commission. The EC Merger Regulation (ECMR),
Council Regulation 4064 of 1989 was designed as a control for large-
scale mergers which might create or strengthen a dominant position in
the Community market. The Regulation deals with mergers that have a
Community-wide dimension, the criteria for which are assessed on the
basis of turnover which must be greater than 5,000 million Euros on a
worldwide basis or 250 million Euros on a Community basis. Below this,
the merger scrutiny is carried out by the individual Member State's
competition authorities. Mergers with a Community dimension are
required to be notified to the Commission before they are signed off.
The principal EU body dealing with Competition is the Directorate
General of Competition, part of the European Commission
<http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/index_en.html>. They
scrutinise all mergers which fall into this community dimension and
can approve, conditionally approve, investigate, prohibit, or refer
mergers back to the competition authority of the party's home State.
Mergers falling under the ECMR are notified in the Official Journal of
the European Communities which can be found on the European legal
database, EurLex <http://www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html>.
This carries the Official Journal C series - information and notices -
and L series - Legislation - from 1998 onwards, as well as case law of
the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance.
The merger notices are all published in the C series - the thing to
look out for on the contents is "prior notification of a
concentration". I would go through each new issue and print off the
merger notice for our index, and enter the details from the Notice on
it. Each page containing a notice is hyperlinked to a PDF document of
the material. Once a merger has been approved, or a further
investigation is decided, the announcement is made through a
Commission press release which can be obtained from the RAPID press
release site <http://www.europa.eu.int/news/index_en.htm>. They are
generally headlined "Commission approves merger between X and Y" or
"Commission announces probe into Z merger".
If an investigation is launched, a notice of an initiation of
proceedings is published in the Official Journal C series. Generally,
approval is given one month from when the merger was first notified. A
decision to investigate takes around the same time frame, and then the
approval will clearly depend on any concerns raised by the probe.
Finally, once a merger has been cleared, one or two days after the
press release, the official merger decision is published back on the
DG Competition Web site. These are mainly on the "What's New page"
<http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/cases/index/by_event_recent.html>,
and Decisions available to download will have a PDF logo next to them.
They are not always in English, but are around 3-9 pages in length,
depending on the complexity of the merger. If a merger has been
approved it is given a 6(1)(b) clearance, or can be given a 6(2) which
is where the merger has been approved but with conditions and
obligations on the part of the companies involved. An Article 8
decision is a prohibition, while an Article 9 decision means that the
EU has referred the merger back to the competition authorities of the
Member States of the companies.
A database of previous Merger decisions can be found at the DG
Competition Web site and can be searched by case number, company name
or nature of decision <http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/cases/>.
As if this was not enough, in December 2002 the Director of EU
Competition, Mario Monti (also known as "Super Mario") decided to
launch reforms of the ECMR to improve merger decision making and
give them a sound economic basis. Further details can be found on the
merger review section of the DG Competition site, including press
releases and legal notices
<http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/mergers/review/>.
The Directorate General of Competition also deals with antitrust cases
and probes into cartels, price fixing and other anti-competitive
agreements which are prohibited under Article 81 of the EC Treaty. It
has the power to fine companies who are in breach of the rules.
Further details of how the Commission deals with anti-competitive
behaviour can be found at
<http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/citizen/citizen_antitrust.html>,
and a list of ongoing investigations at
<http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/competition/antitrust/cases/index/by_event_recent.html>.
UK Competition Law
------------------
The principal bodies dealing with competition at national level are:
The Competition Commission <http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/>
- "The CC conducts in-depth inquiries into mergers, markets and the
regulation of the major regulated industries, undertaken in response
to a reference made to it by another authority."
The Office of Fair Trading <http://www.oft.gov.uk/Business/default.htm>
- The objective of the OFT in terms of its competition remit (it also
deals with consumer concerns) is to stop anti-competitive practices,
such as abuse of a dominant market position. The Competition
Enforcement (CE) Division of the OFT "plays a key role in enforcing
current legislation including The Competition Act 1998, stopping
cartels and other damaging anti-competitive agreements, stopping any
abuse of a dominant market position, promoting a strong competitive
culture across a wide range of markets, informing business, through a
widespread education programme, about changes in legislation and
working with the European Commission on EC cases". The OFT maintains
a register of mergers notified under the Enterprise Act 2002, the
Competition Act 1998 and the Fair Trading Act 1973.
The DTI <http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/> - "Our mission is to deliver a
competitive framework for the growth of successful businesses and a
fair deal for consumers. We want to help UK consumers and businesses
enjoy more choice, better service, safer products and competitive
prices". It is also the DTI's responsibility to clear mergers notified
under the Fair Trading Act 1973, or refer them to the Competition
Commission for further scrutiny. An example of this is when four of
the five bidders for Safeway supermarket were referred to the
Competition Commission. That enquiry is still ongoing at time of
writing <http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/current/safeway/index.htm>.
The main regulations for Competition law in the UK are:
The Enterprise Act 2002, which came into force on 20 June 2003, the
Competition Act 1998 and the Fair Trading Act 1973. There are various
other separate bits of legislation dealing with industry sectors such
as the Communications Act 2003, which received Royal Assent on July 17
and covering competition issues in the newspaper and broadcast media
sectors, the Railways Act 1993, the Telecommunications Act 1984 and
the Water Industry Act 1991. UNAMENDED versions of these Acts can be
found at the HMSO web site <http://www.hmso.gov.uk/>: be warned,
these are all as originally published and may not reflect their
current legislative status.
Finally, there are a number of regulatory bodies which deal with the
statutory requirements of specific industry sectors, ensuring that
there is fair competition and that these benefits are ultimately
passed on to the consumer. In no particular order, these are:
The Department for Transport (DfT) - <http://www.dft.gov.uk/>
Independent Television Commission (ITC) - <http://www.itc.org.uk/>
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM)
- <http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/>
Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) - <http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/>
Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL) - <http://www.oftel.gov.uk/>
Office of Water Services (OFWAT) - <http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/>
Postal Services Commission (PSC) - <http://www.psc.gov.uk/>
The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) - <http://www.sra.gov.uk/>
All of these Web sites will contain official documentation, annual
reports, current work, publications available to download, press
releases, up-to-date legislation and changes in the regulation of
these sectors. All of these sites have a "What's New" page containing
the most up to date information pertaining to the industry that these
bodies regulate. For example, the recent ruling by OFTEL which has
forced BT to reduce its wholesale internet prices is on the OFTEL Web
site <http://www.oftel.gov.uk/press/releases/2003/pr44_03.htm>.
The Communications Act 2003 will mean the end of the ITC, the
Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC), OFTEL and the Radio Authority
(RAu) and the Radiocommunications Agency (RA), as they will all merge
to form OFCOM <http://www.ofcom.org.uk/>. OFCOM will be the new
communications regulator and is scheduled to be operational by the end
of 2003.
Conclusion
----------
Competition law operates at many levels and is a constantly evolving
legal mechanism. The law and the regulatory bodies established by
statute can regulate, authorise and direct businesses which in many
cases are responsible for vital infrastructure functions such as
transport and communications. If companies are found to be in breach
of competition law punitive fines can be levied, with the aim to make
markets fair and competitive, with the end results of this hopefully
passed onto the consumer and the public.
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Jonathan is a Tax and Competition Law Library assistant at at a city
law firm. He is going to City University in October 2003 to read an MSc.
in Library and Information Studies. Jonathan graduated from the
University of Leicester in 1998 with a first class degree in Ancient
History and Archaeology and worked in market research and insurance
before deciding to become an information professional last year. He
enjoys re-enactment, history and genealogy amongst other things in his
spare time.
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