Competition law and innovation

Recently Microsoft lost an appeal against the European Commission, following which the American Department of Justice immediately declared that this judgment would weaken innovation. Legal action has been taken in Brussels against Rambus, Qualcomm, Intel and Google. Is European competition law standing in the way of important hi-tech firms, especially American ones ? Is it condemning acquired monopolies because of technological innovation ? Is it calling into question dominant positions founded on intellectual property rights ? Is it banning the creation of leading European technological companies ? François Lévêque challenges the latest suspicions concerning the European Commission in these matters. European competition law has been modernised and is increasingly based on economic analysis. Decisions taken in the interest of competition and consumers do not in any way call into question either intellectual property rights or the possibility of a technological company assuming a dominant position, which is essential in this industry of standards.