Open consultation

Consultation on the CMA鈥檚 Proposed Recommendation on the Assimilated TTBER

Summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is consulting on a proposed recommendation that the Secretary of State replace the Assimilated Technology Transfer Block Exemption with a UK block exemption order, when it expires on 30 April 2026.

This consultation is being held on .

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

The CMA is consulting on its proposed recommendation (the Proposed Recommendation) to the Secretary of State (SoS) for Business and Trade regarding the (the Assimilated TTBER), which expires on 30 April 2026. The Assimilated TTBER exempts certain types of technology transfer agreements from the Chapter I prohibition of the Competition Act.

In the Proposed Recommendation, the CMA proposes to recommend that the Secretary of State make a block exemption order of 12 years鈥� duration that exempts the categories of technology transfer agreements currently exempted by the Assimilated TTBER, and which includes the same definitions, conditions and obligations as the Assimilated TTBER (adapted as necessary for UK purposes), but with the following variations:

  • removing 鈥榰tility models鈥� from the definition of 鈥榯echnology rights鈥�
  • adding 鈥榗opyright in a database鈥� and 鈥榙atabase rights鈥� to the definitions of 鈥榯echnology rights鈥� and 鈥榠ntellectual property rights鈥�
  • adding definitions of 鈥榓ctive sales鈥� and 鈥榩assive sales鈥�
  • replacing the market share thresholds in respect of technology markets with a condition that there be at least 3 independently controlled substitutable technologies in addition to the technologies held by the parties to the agreement

The CMA has prepared the Proposed Recommendation having regard, among other things, to responses to the call for inputs on the Assimilated TTBER, which ran from midday on 26 July 2024聽to聽5pm on 6 September 2024. These responses to the call for inputs are published on the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation consultation page.

Find out more and how to respond on the page.

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Updates to this page

Published 14 March 2025

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