The consumer benchmarks in the unfair commercial practices directive / Bram B. Duivenvoorde.
2015
KJE6456.A432005 D85 2015 (Map It)
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Details
Title
The consumer benchmarks in the unfair commercial practices directive / Bram B. Duivenvoorde.
Published
Cham : Springer, [2015]
Copyright
©2015
Call Number
KJE6456.A432005 D85 2015
ISBN
9783319139234 (hd.bd.)
3319139231 (hd.bd.)
9783319139241 (online)
3319139231 (hd.bd.)
9783319139241 (online)
Description
xxi, 244 pages ; 25 cm.
Other Standard Identifiers
9783319139234
System Control No.
(OCoLC)910839219
Summary
This book investigates the regime of consumer benchmarks in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and explores to what extent this regime meets each of the goals of the Directive. In particular, it assesses whether the consumer benchmarks are suitable in terms of achieving the three goals of the Directive: achieving a high level of consumer protection, increasing the smooth functioning of the internal market, and improving competition in the market as such. In addition to providing a thorough analysis of the consumer benchmarks and their relationship to the goals of the Directive, at a more practical level, the book provides insight into the working and consequences of the benchmarks that can be used in the evaluation of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and its application by the CJEU. This assessment is important because the Directive, while promising to regulate unfair commercial practices in a way that achieves the Directive's goals, has removed the possibility for Member States to regulate unfair commercial practices themselves.-- Provided by Publisher.
Dissertation Note
test Ph.D. University of Amsterdam 2014.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Record Appears in
Table of Contents
1.
Introduction
1
1.1.
Consumer Benchmarks and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
1
1.2.
Aim and Research Question
3
1.3.
General Research Design and Structure
4
1.4.
Method and Scope
6
1.4.1.
Part I: European Law
6
1.4.2.
Part II: National Law
6
1.4.3.
Part III: Consumer Behaviour
8
1.4.4.
Part IV: Assessment
9
References
10
pt. I
European Law
2.
Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
13
2.1.
Introduction
13
2.2.
Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
14
2.3.
Goals of the Directive
16
2.4.
Legislative History on the Consumer Benchmarks
18
2.5.
Average Consumer Benchmark
20
2.6.
Target Group Benchmark
23
2.7.
Vulnerable Group Benchmark
24
2.8.
Conclusion
27
References
27
3.
Case Law of the CJEU
29
3.1.
Introduction
29
3.2.
Misleading Commercial Communication
30
3.2.1.
Cassis de Dijon and Commission v Germany
30
3.2.2.
Buet
33
3.2.3.
GB-INNO-BM and Yves Rocher
34
3.2.4.
Nissan
36
3.2.5.
Clinique
37
3.2.6.
Mars
39
3.2.7.
Graffione
41
3.2.8.
Gut Springenheide
42
3.2.9.
Lifting
45
3.2.10.
Adolf Darbo
47
3.2.11.
Douwe Egberts v Westrom Pharma and Mediaprint
48
3.2.12.
Kasler
50
3.2.13.
Conclusion
51
3.3.
Trademark Law
52
3.3.1.
Introduction
52
3.3.2.
Field of Application
53
3.3.3.
Lloyd Schuhfabrik
55
3.3.4.
Type of Product or Service
56
3.3.5.
Target Group
57
3.3.6.
Conclusion
58
3.4.
Conclusion
59
References
60
4.
Thematic Analysis
63
4.1.
Introduction
63
4.2.
Nature of the Average Consumer Benchmark
64
4.3.
Characteristics of the Average Consumer
67
4.4.
Target Groups and Vulnerable Groups
69
4.5.
Social, Cultural and Linguistic Factors
71
4.6.
Use of Empirical Evidence
74
4.7.
Conclusion
75
References
76
pt. II
National Law
5.
German Law
79
5.1.
Introduction
79
5.2.
Legal Context: Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb
80
5.3.
Old German Benchmark of the fluchtigen Durchschnittsverbraucher
82
5.3.1.
General Remarks
82
5.3.2.
Application
84
5.3.3.
Environment-Related and Health-Related Advertising
86
5.3.4.
Vulnerable Groups
87
5.3.5.
Conclusion
87
5.4.
Average Consumer Benchmark
88
5.4.1.
Adoption of the Average Consumer Benchmark
88
5.4.2.
Orient-Teppichmuster
89
5.4.3.
Application of the Average Consumer Benchmark
91
5.4.4.
Environment-Related and Health-Related Advertising
94
5.4.5.
Objectively False Statements
95
5.5.
Target Groups and Vulnerable Groups
96
5.5.1.
General Remarks
96
5.5.2.
Target Groups
97
5.5.3.
Vulnerable Groups
98
5.6.
Conclusion
100
References
102
6.
English Law
103
6.1.
Introduction
103
6.2.
Tort of Passing-off
105
6.3.
Trade Descriptions Act 1968
108
6.4.
Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988
113
6.5.
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
115
6.5.1.
Introduction
115
6.5.2.
Consultations, Observations and Guidelines
116
6.5.3.
Office of Fair Trading v Purely Creative Industries
119
6.5.4.
Office of Fair Trading v Ashbourne Management Services
123
6.6.
Conclusions
125
References
126
7.
Italian Law
127
7.1.
Introduction
127
7.2.
Concorrenza Sleale and the Benchmark of the Sceptical Consumer
128
7.3.
Legal Context: Misleading Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices
130
7.3.1.
Implementation of the Misleading Advertising Directive
130
7.3.2.
Implementation of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
131
7.4.
Application of the Consumer Benchmarks: General Remarks
132
7.5.
Application of the Average Consumer Benchmark
135
7.6.
Target Groups and Vulnerable Groups
139
7.6.1.
Introduction
139
7.6.2.
Children and Teenagers
139
7.6.3.
Elderly
142
7.6.4.
Credulous Consumers: Products and Services Related to the Paranormal
143
7.6.5.
Credulous Consumers: Health-Related Products
144
7.7.
Conclusion
147
References
147
8.
Comparison
149
8.1.
Introduction
149
8.2.
Legal Context
150
8.3.
Old Consumer Benchmarks
150
8.4.
Application of the Average Consumer Benchmark
152
8.5.
Application of the Target Group and Vulnerable Group Benchmarks
154
8.6.
Use of Empirical Evidence
155
8.7.
Conclusion
156
References
156
pt. III
Consumer Behaviour
9.
Average Consumer Benchmark From a Behavioural Perspective
159
9.1.
Introduction
159
9.2.
Assumptions Underlying the Average Consumer Benchmark
160
9.3.
Assumption I: The Average Consumer as a Rational Decision-maker
161
9.4.
Assumption II: The Average Consumer as a Model for Typical Behaviour
165
9.4.1.
General Remarks
165
9.4.2.
Pre-existing Knowledge
165
9.4.3.
Consumer Involvement
167
9.4.4.
Personality
167
9.4.5.
Culture
169
9.5.
Conclusion
173
References
174
10.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups from a Behavioural Perspective
177
10.1.
Introduction
177
10.2.
Consumer Vulnerability: Different Perspectives
179
10.3.
Thinking About Vulnerability in Terms of Groups
180
10.4.
Vulnerable Groups
181
10.4.1.
Vulnerability by Virtue of Age: Children and Adolescents
181
10.4.2.
Vulnerability by Virtue of Age: Elderly Consumers
184
10.4.3.
Vulnerability by Virtue of Mental and Physical Infirmity
188
10.4.4.
Credulity and Other Causes of Vulnerability
189
10.5.
Conclusion
191
References
191
pt. IV
Assessment
11.
Assessment
195
11.1.
Introduction
195
11.2.
Achieving a High Level of Consumer Protection
196
11.3.
Increasing the Smooth Functioning of the Internal Market
201
11.3.1.
Introduction
201
11.3.2.
Remove Barriers to Trade
202
11.3.3.
Increase Consumer Confidence
204
11.3.4.
Conclusion
205
11.4.
Improving Competition
206
11.5.
Conclusion
209
References
210
pt. V
Epilogue: Recommendations
12.
Epilogue: Recommendations
215
12.1.
Adoptan Alternative Framework to Assess Unfairness
216
12.2.
Clarify the Directive's Goals and Provide Better Guidance
221
12.3.
Reconsider the Degree of Harmonisation
222
12.4.
Do Not Extend the Directive's Benchmarks to EU Consumer Law in General
224
References
226
13.
Summary
229
13.1.
Introduction
229
13.2.
Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
230
13.3.
Case Law of the CJEU
231
13.4.
Thematic Analysis
232
13.5.
German Law
233
13.6.
English Law
234
13.7.
Italian Law
235
13.8.
Comparison
236
13.9.
Average Consumer Benchmark from a Behavioural Perspective
236
13.10.
Protection of Vulnerable Groups from a Behavioural Perspective
237
13.11.
Assessment
238
13.12.
Epilogue: Recommendations
239
Index
243