Smart TV operating system case turns focus on lack of adequate laws

New Delhi: The inclusion of Xiaomi India and TCL India in an antitrust complaint against Google’s alleged abuse of dominance in the smart TV operating system (OS) market has brought to the fore questions of collective dominance and its absence in Indian competition law.

Experts said a case of collective dominance might not stand in the absence of such a provision in the law.

The two smart TV manufacturers have been made party to the case since they are seen as restricting the entry of other OS developers into the market by voluntarily agreeing to anticompetitive clauses in Google’s terms of service, a person aware of the matter said.