Q&A: IP rights in competition in United Kingdom

UK competition law prohibits anticompetitive agreements and abuse of dominance, and deals with mergers, cartel offences, and transactions impacting national security. Post-Brexit, UK courts ensure consistency between UK competition law and pre-Brexit EU competition case law. The law doesn’t specifically mention Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). The laws are reviewed and enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and specific sector regulators. Damages related to IPRs can be recovered. There are no specific IPR exemptions from competition law.