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 value upkeep (RPM) practices which will violate European Union competitors regulation. The investigation facilities on allegations that the businesses imposed fastened resale costs on retailers promoting DJI enterprise drones in Italy, threatening suppliers and eradicating value 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 client safety and competitors legal guidelines. The Authority has broad investigative powers, together with the power to conduct daybreak raids at firm premises, request data 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 a number of 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 keeping with complaints obtained by the AGCM, DJI and Nital allegedly monitored discrepancies between costs charged by resellers and people printed 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 international suppliers at decrease costs—to keep up 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 value upkeep is classed as a “hardcore restriction” below Article 4(a) of Fee Regulation (EU) No. 720/2022, the EU’s Vertical Block Exemption Regulation. This classification means RPM can’t profit from block exemption and is presumed to limit competitors by limiting value competitors between retailers, doubtlessly resulting in increased client costs.
Beneath Italian and EU competitors regulation, RPM is taken into account some of the severe infringements of competitors regulation, hardly ever justifiable below effectivity defenses. Latest EU enforcement contains the October 2025 fines totaling €157 million imposed on luxurious style manufacturers Gucci, Chloé, and Loewe for comparable 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 expertise and way of life content material at Dronelife. He’s primarily based between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys climbing and Boston space sports activities.