(Telecompaper) Telefonica has lost its appeal against the ultimatum issued by Brazil's anti-trust regulator, Cade, at the end of 2013 to scale back its influence in the Brazilian telecoms sector. In a decision issued on 05 December, Cade ordered Telefonica to either sell its interest in TIM Participacoes (Tim Brasil), the local unit of Telecom Italia, or find a new partner for its own Vivo unit. The regulator also confirmed a fine of BRL 15 million imposed on Telefonica for breaching a performance agreement signed in 2010, in which the Spanish group agreed not to participate in TIM Brasil's management decisions or raise its stake in Telecom Italia. Telefonica has a timeframe of 18 months in which to comply with Cade's ruling. However, according to Brazilian daily Estadao, Telefonica is now considering taking the matter to the civil courts on the grounds that the agreement to raise its stake in Telecom Italia through investment vehicle Telco will not have repercussions on the Brazilian market, since the corresponding shares are without voting rights. The situation is complicated by the fact that the Telefonica-led Telco partnership is due to be unravelled later this month, with two of the Italian shareholders, Generali and Mediobanca, planning to exit the holding.