The European Union is hitting hard on Hello Kitty. The Commission has imposed a fine of 6,2 million euros on the Japanese group Sanrio, which - according to Brussels - illegally hindered the trade of products depicting the famous stylized kitten.
The case dates back to June 2017, when the EU Antitrust began investigating how Sanrio granted licenses to sell Hello Kitty products.
The investigation revealed that the Japanese group actually imposed a series of illegal restrictions on traders. The aim was to limit cross-border and online sales of licensed products within the European Union's single market.
"Consumers, whether they buy a Hello Kitty cup or a Chococat toy, can now enjoy one of the main benefits of the single market - said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager - namely the ability to buy products anywhere in Europe to have access to the most advantageous offers. Today's decision confirms that traders selling licensed products cannot be prevented from selling those products in other countries."
The company cooperated with the Commission beyond its legal obligations, providing information which allowed to establish the long duration of the infringement (11 years). Sanrio also admitted the violations of EU competition rules and for this reason it benefited from a 40% discount on the fine.
