ROME, March 31, 2026 — The Italian Competition Authority has fined jewellery and watch manufacturer Morellato S.p.A. €25.9 million for imposing anti-competitive restrictions on its authorised distributors.
The authority found that between July 2018 and December 2025 Morellato operated a vertical agreement within its selective distribution system that limited the discounts distributors could offer when selling products online.
According to the regulator, the company set maximum discount levels and monitored distributors’ pricing practices, intervening when authorised retailers deviated from the prescribed discount policies. Enforcement measures included warnings, demands to remove discounts, blocking orders or Amazon accounts and threats to terminate distribution contracts.
The investigation also found that Morellato prohibited authorised distributors from selling its products through third-party online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, while the company itself sold products on those platforms.
The authority concluded that the practices amounted to resale price maintenance and discriminatory restrictions on online sales, reducing competition between authorised retailers and limiting their ability to set independent commercial policies.
The conduct was found to infringe Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits agreements that restrict competition.
Source: https://en.agcm.it/en/media/press-releases/2026/3/I876
