Court of Appeal upholds CMA decision against Ping

In 2017, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fined leading golf club manufacturer Ping Europe Limited £1.45 million for breaking competition law by preventing two UK retailers from selling its golf clubs on their websites. Read our previous blog on the topic here. 

In addition to the fine, the CMA ordered Ping to end its online sales ban and not to impose the same or equivalent terms on any other retailers.

On 21 January 2020, the Court of Appeal upheld the CMA's decision.

The Court of Appeal decision follows Ping's initial appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), which was dismissed.

This decision means that Ping must allow retailers to sell its products online. More broadly, it sends a strong message that outright online sales bans are not compatible with competition law.