Key legal question
Whether equal treatment under takeover law applies already toward potential competing bidders after a pre-announcement.
Extracted holding
Yes. Once a public takeover offer has been pre-announced, the target company must also treat potential competing bidders equally when organizing contacts and due diligence.
Extracted reasoning
The takeover process is governed by transparency, equal treatment and fairness from the moment of pre-announcement; contacts with prospective white knights fall within the regulatory scope because they may distort the auction process and create unlawful defensive measures.