Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 12 April 2013 —
SIAE v Commission

(Case T‑433/08)

Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Copyright relating to public performance of musical works via the internet, satellite and cable retransmission — Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC — Sharing of the geographic market — Bilateral agreements between national collecting societies — Concerted practices precluding the possibility of granting multi-territory and multi-repertoire licences — Proof — Presumption of innocence

1.                     Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Conditions relating to a signatory — Third party capacity in relation to the parties — Company represented by its in-house lawyers — Non-compliance with the requirement of independence (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 19, third and fourth paras) (see paras 57-59)

2.                     Competition — Administrative procedure — Commission decision finding an infringement — Burden of proving the infringement borne by the Commission — Extent of the burden of proof (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 2) (see paras 73, 120)

3.                     Union law — Principles — Fundamental rights — Presumption of innocence — Procedures in competition matters — Decision finding an infringement but not imposing a fine — Applicability (Art. 81(1) EC; Art. 6(2) EU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 48(1)) (see paras 74-78)

4.                     Competition — Administrative procedure — Commission decision finding an infringement — Means of proof — Reliance on a body of evidence — Degree of evidential value necessary as regards items of evidence viewed in isolation — Evidence based solely on the conduct of undertakings — Evidential obligations of undertakings disputing the reality of the infringement — Obligations of the Commission challenging the plausibility of the explanations proposed by the undertakings (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 2) (see paras 79-84, 143)

5.                     Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Prohibition — Agreements which continue to produce their effects after they have formally ceased to be in force — Application of Article (Art. 81(1) EC) (see para. 105)

6.                     Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Concerted practice — Parallel conduct — Presumption that a concertation exists — Limits — Refusal by national copyright management societies to allow a user established in another Member State direct access to their repertoire — Adverse effect on competition (Art. 81(1) EC) (see para. 119)

7.                     Actions for annulment — Judicial review — Limits on jurisdiction (Art. 230 EC) (see para. 165)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment in part of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final of 16 July 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/C2/38.698 — CISAC).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Article 3 of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final of 16 July 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/C2/38.698 — CISAC), in so far as it concerns Società italiana degli autori ed editori (SIAE);

2. Annuls Article 4(2) of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final as regards SIAE;

3. Dismisses the remainder of the action;

4. Orders the European Commission to pay the costs relating to the main proceedings;

5. Orders SIAE and the Commission each to bear their own costs relating to the interim relief proceedings.