Telenor Serbia has filed a lawsuit before the competent judicial authorities in Serbia for unfair market competition against United Group, Srpske kablovske mreze and Adria News.
In a statement, it says that “these related entities have been using media N1 and Nova S in their ownership to conduct a false and intensive media campaign”. It adds that in its view the aim of the campaign is to impede or prevent Telenor from entering the TV content distribution market as a new competitor.
Telenor Serbia goes on to emphasise that United Group and SBB have a dominant 46.1% position in the media content market, which Telenor Serbia is yet supposed to enter after the relevant authorities of the Republic of Serbia make an independent, professional, and impartial decision on the process. It also points out that the infrastructure agreements it has signed with Telekom Srbija are completely within the law and do not distort competition or media pluralism.
Telenor Serbia also says that “in relation to the false statement on content, Telenor Serbia has asked United Group for an offer for distribution of channels or rights owned by this group twice, as the company’s ambition is to have the widest choice of channels in its future offer, including Nova S, N1, Sport klub and other”.
It adds: “In the same line with our previous compensation damage action, the lawsuit for unfair competition is filed against the companies which created the campaign against Telenor Serbia. It demands such actions to be legally disabled, as they violate legal provisions and good business practice, and court ruling to be published in the media. Telenor will afterward determine the amount of damage suffered due to unfair market competition”.
Broadband TV News notes that United Group has produced documentary evidence showing that Telekom Srbija and Telenor Serbia have entered into an agreement to effectively expel it from the Serbian market.
