Internetsuchmaschinen in der unionskartellrechtlichen Missbrauchskontrolle

This work deals with one of the central questions with regard to the application of competition law to markets of the internet economy: To what extent can the prohibition of the abuse of market power according to Art. 102 TFEU be applied to innovative markets like the internet search engine market?

The challenges which the law faces in this context due to the special economic dynamic have not yet been thoroughly analysed. The study sheds light on the definition of the relevant markets and the important economic characteristics (indirect positive network effects in particular). On this basis, the work focuses on the preferential treatment of proprietary services and content (vertical integration) as potential abusive behaviour with reference to the essential facilities doctrine and unlawful tying.