Latest update: 01/04/2009 

- France - justice - telecommunication


French court upholds Orange subscription ban
French court upholds Orange subscription ban
A French appeals court upheld a provisional ban on Tuesday preventing France Telecom's operator Orange from linking its Orange Sport service to "triple play" subscriptions for television, telephone and the Internet.

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AFP - A French court rejected an appeal Tuesday by France Telecom's operator Orange against a provisional ban from linking its Orange Sport service to "triple play" subscriptions for television, telephone and Internet.

Telecoms operators Free and Neuf Cegetel had complained that Orange was giving itself an unfair competitive advantage with the deal and went to court.

But Orange said the ban, imposed in late February, would encounter "considerable" technical difficulties and would hurt France Telecom's image as a whole.

The appeals court rejected this argument, however, saying there was no evidence the provisional ban would "ruin its image or have disproportionate consequences."

The court will consider the merits of the case on April 30.

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