Bravo, the French courts, and here's hoping some more jurisdictions follow suit: on appeal, a court in Paris has last week refused to overturn a 2006 ruling against a group of high profile brands who had colluded to fix prices.
Fashionmag.com reports that Jean-Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, Chanel, Clarins Fragrance Group, Hermes, Christian Dior, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Guerlain, L'Oreal, LVMH Fragrance Brands, Sisheido Europe and Yves Saint Laurent were all involved in the matter, as were distributors which included Sephora.
The upshot for the French consumer was that it didn't matter where they shopped - the price would be the same, as all brands had reached agreement to cease competition for sales, offering flat rates for products from those brands.
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The French courts clearly felt this was anti-consumer at the time and again now. The upshot of their refusal to overturn the ruling on appeal is the brands have to pony up a cool €40 million between them as a hefty slap on the wrist.
So, what do you think? A consumer victory and one you'd like to see repeated elsewhere or not that much of a big deal, and the brands will just find some other way to hoof cash out of beauty lovers?
