# C_2018375EN.01000601.xml

| 17.10.2018 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 375/6 |
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17.10.2018

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 375/6

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case M.9125 — Klio/Bertelsmann/Holtzbrinck/Skoobe)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2018/C 375/06)

1.

This notification concerns the following undertakings:

| — | Skoobe GmbH (‘Skoobe’, Germany), |
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Skoobe GmbH (‘Skoobe’, Germany),

| — | Klio GmbH (‘Klio’, Germany), |
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Klio GmbH (‘Klio’, Germany),

| — | Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG (‘Holtzbrinck’, Germany), |
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Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co. KG (‘Holtzbrinck’, Germany),

| — | Verlagsgruppe Random House GmbH (‘Random House’, Germany), controlled by Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA (‘Bertelsmann’, Germany), |
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Verlagsgruppe Random House GmbH (‘Random House’, Germany), controlled by Bertelsmann SE & Co KGaA (‘Bertelsmann’, Germany),

| — | Arvato CRM Solutions GmbH (‘Arvato’, Germany), also controlled by Bertelsmann. |
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Arvato CRM Solutions GmbH (‘Arvato’, Germany), also controlled by Bertelsmann.

Klio, Holtzbrinck, Random House and Arvato acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of Skoobe.

The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.

2.

| — | Skoobe offers the temporary rental of e-books over its online platform www.skoobe.de and via its own app. |
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Skoobe offers the temporary rental of e-books over its online platform www.skoobe.de and via its own app.

| — | Klio is active as a book retailer via its subsidiary Thalia Bücher GmbH. |
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Klio is active as a book retailer via its subsidiary Thalia Bücher GmbH.

| — | Holtzbrinck is an in Stuttgart based international media company that is active in trade-book publishing, education and science, newspapers and magazines as well as electronic media and services. |
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Holtzbrinck is an in Stuttgart based international media company that is active in trade-book publishing, education and science, newspapers and magazines as well as electronic media and services.

| — | Random House is a German publishing house of Bertelsmann active in the area of fictional and non-fictional books, books for children and adolesecents, audio and e-books. Random House is controlled by Bertelsmann, an international media, services and education group present in about 50 countries with activities in TV, radio, book and newspaper publishing, music as well as other media and communication services. |
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Random House is a German publishing house of Bertelsmann active in the area of fictional and non-fictional books, books for children and adolesecents, audio and e-books. Random House is controlled by Bertelsmann, an international media, services and education group present in about 50 countries with activities in TV, radio, book and newspaper publishing, music as well as other media and communication services.

| — | Arvato is an international service company of Bertelsmann offering various technical services i.a. in the area of logistics, customer service and management, finance and information technology solutions. |
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Arvato is an international service company of Bertelsmann offering various technical services i.a. in the area of logistics, customer service and management, finance and information technology solutions.

3.

Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

4.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:

M.9125 — Klio/Bertelsmann/Holtzbrinck/Skoobe

Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:

| Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu |
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| Fax +32 22964301 |
| Postal address: |
| European Commission |
| Directorate-General for Competition |
| Merger Registry |
| 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel |
| BELGIQUE/BELGIË |

Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

Fax +32 22964301

Postal address:

European Commission

Directorate-General for Competition

Merger Registry

1049 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

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(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.

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