26. A non-compete clause for connected products has been introduced. Does this also apply to related services?

No. As explained in its Recital 32, a key objective of the Data Act is to allow service providers to have access to new data and compete on an equal footing with comparable services offered by manufacturers. The prohibition on developing competing related services could have a discouraging effect on innovation and the provision of other services (not necessarily ‘related services’). As a result of the limitation of the non-compete clause to connected products only, businesses and consumers will see a reduction in the cost of switching to alternative services. They will also benefit from more competition for value-added services (e.g. predictive maintenance), which depend on access to such data; and be able to make more informed consumer decisions (e.g. buying more sustainable products and services).