The Italian Competitors Authority (AGCM) has opened a proper investigation into DJI Europe B.V. and its Italian importer Nital S.p.A. over suspected resale worth upkeep (RPM) practices that will violate European Union competitors legislation. The investigation facilities on allegations that the businesses imposed fastened resale costs on retailers promoting DJI enterprise drones in Italy, threatening suppliers and eradicating worth competitors from the market.
The Regulatory Authority
The AGCM (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato) is Italy’s impartial competitors regulator, established in 1990, answerable for implementing each Italian and European shopper safety and competitors legal guidelines. The Authority has broad investigative powers, together with the power to conduct daybreak raids at firm premises, request info from undertakings, and impose fines as much as ten % of an organization’s annual turnover. On this case, AGCM officers performed inspections at Nital’s premises and several other DJI enterprise drone resellers on October 23, 2025, assisted by the Particular Antitrust Unit of the Italian Monetary Police (Guardia di Finanza).
The Alleged Violation
In line with complaints obtained by the AGCM, DJI and Nital allegedly monitored discrepancies between costs charged by resellers and people revealed on Nital’s web site (www.hobbyhobby.it). Retailers who deviated from these costs reportedly obtained cease-and-desist letters citing unauthorized use of DJI’s trademark and threats of provide interruption. The Authority additionally suggests the businesses tried to limit parallel imports—purchases from overseas suppliers at decrease costs—to take care of their pricing system throughout Italy.
Authorized Framework
The investigation focuses on potential breaches of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which prohibits anticompetitive agreements between corporations. Resale worth upkeep is classed as a “hardcore restriction” beneath Article 4(a) of Fee Regulation (EU) No. 720/2022, the EU’s Vertical Block Exemption Regulation. This classification means RPM can not profit from block exemption and is presumed to limit competitors by limiting worth competitors between retailers, doubtlessly resulting in greater shopper costs.
Below Italian and EU competitors legislation, RPM is taken into account one of the crucial critical infringements of competitors legislation, not often justifiable beneath effectivity defenses. Current EU enforcement consists of the October 2025 fines totaling €157 million imposed on luxurious trend manufacturers Gucci, Chloé, and Loewe for related RPM practices.
DJI acknowledged in an e mail to Reuters that it’s “dedicated to complying with rigorous authorized and regulatory requirements” and can “absolutely cooperate with the related authorities as their investigation progresses”. Nital was unavailable for remark.
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Ian McNabb is a journalist specializing in drone know-how and way of life content material at Dronelife. He’s based mostly between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys mountain climbing and Boston space sports activities.
