ACCC

A maritime development company has failed in its bid to resume its competition lawsuit against NSW Ports, with the Federal Court ordering that the proceedings remained stayed until a similar case brought by the competition regulator is heard.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it has no grounds to challenge a ruling that found the $15 billion merger of Vodafone with telecommunications rival TPG would not substantially lessen competition.

Two executives of car wash franchisor Geowash that were found to be knowingly involved in the company's unconscionable conduct in its dealings with franchisees have lost their bid to void a costs agreement with law firm Thomson Geer, with a judge calling legal cost estimations "an inexact science".

The ACCC has asked for an interim stay of an appeal by Indonesian airline Garuda, which has yet to pay a $19 million penalty for airline price fixing, telling the court it wanted to give the company another chance to explain its "entirely exceptional" non-compliance.

Property listing startup Zango has denied claims by listing giant Domain that its ads misleadingly represented that it will have listings before any of its rivals, saying the ads amounted to "puffery" but admitting that it self-reported the matter to the ACCC.

Japanese beer giant Asahi has offered to divest key beer and cider brands in a bid to convince the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission to approve its planned $16 billion acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has opened a formal review into whether Google's $3 billion acquisition of fitness device company Fitbit will harm competition, including the potential impact of the search giant's increased access to user data.

The ACCC has revealed that it will bring at least four new competition cases this year, with chairman Rod Sims also promising that the regulator could pick up the pace when it comes to launching proceedings.

Two Geowash executives have appealed a ruling that found they were knowingly involved in the car wash franchisor's unconscionable conduct in its dealings with franchisees.

The ACCC claims it was not required to prove Kimberly-Clark's flushable wipes caused actual harm to sewers, as it challenges a ruling that disposed of its consumer law case against the personal care giant.