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Court upholds fine on Booking.com

In August 2021, the Federal Antimonopoly Service slapped Booking.com with a 1.3 bln ruble fine for abusing its dominant position on the Russian market

MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. The Arbitration Court of Moscow upheld the lawfulness of a fine worth 1.3 bln rubles ($17.45 mln) imposed by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) on Booking.com for the abuse of its dominant position on the Russian market, according to court materials.

"The decision of the administrative authority to be recognized as lawful and claims of the applicant to be dismissed," the court decision says.

It became known on August 26 that FAS of Russia slapped Booking.com with a 1.3 bln ruble fine for abusing its dominant position on the Russian market. According to the watchdog, the company had imposed contract conditions on hotels and hostels, requiring them to provide and respect price and room parity, as well as conditions of interaction with closed user groups. As a consequence, hotels were unable to price their services lower than on Booking.com in other sales channels.

рooking.com later sent a lawsuit to the Arbitration Court of Moscow to challenge the fine.

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