Exclusive distribution meaning

In this issue: UK digital markets UK competition policy UK private actions EU antitrust Daily and weekly news alerts Caselex UK digital markets CMA opens first ‘SMS investigation’ under the DMCCA 2024 into Google’s general search and search advertising The CMA has begun an ‘initial SMS investigation’ under Part 1 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA 2024). This is the authority’s first SMS designation probe under the new DMCCA digital markets framework. The CMA’s power to designate undertakings with SMS, and potentially impose conduct requirements, took effect on 1 January 2025. The Investigation Notice states that Alphabet Inc, Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited and Google UK Limited (Google) provide general worldwide web search and information return (general search), and advertising to users of general search (search advertising). The CMA considers these meet the definition of a digital activity and can be treated as one activity. The Notice excludes specialised search service interfaces, such...

In this issue: Advertising, marketing and sponsorship Agency and distribution Consumer protection Contracts E-commerce International Public procurement Supplier management LexTalk®Commercial: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Advertising, marketing and sponsorship ASA rulings—31 July 2024 The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has flagged the Person(s) unknown trading as Mendio Life for inquiry after insights from its Active Ad Monitoring system. A Meta promotion by Mendio Life for an acupressure clip asserted medical effects for a device lacking the necessary conformity marking and absent from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) register. This decision sits within the ASA’s wider work on advertisements asserting treatment for prostrate issues, as part of a consumer-protection drive against such claims. The ASA also received a complaint about Nultqh GB’s Meta advert for a prostate patch, which advanced medicinal claims for an unlicensed item. The...

Antitrust AG delivers opinion on Belgian reference urging that an exclusive distributor be shielded from active sales in its territory by all the supplier’s other purchasers Advocate General Medina has presented her opinion in Case C-581/23 Beevers Kaas, a reference from Belgium addressing the interpretation of Article 101 TFEU and the former vertical agreements block exemption (Regulation 330/2010). The focus is whether an exclusive distribution arrangement accords with the parallel imposition requirement, under which a supplier must ensure its exclusive distributor is safeguarded against active selling into the protected territory by all the supplier’s remaining distributors or buyers. The opinion considers how these rules apply where exclusivity is granted and parallel obligations are expected across the supplier’s network to prevent targeted incursions into the exclusive area... Background Beevers Kass acts as the exclusive distributor in Belgium for Beemster cheese, sourced from the Dutch producer Cono. Since 1993, Cono and Beevers have been bound by an exclusive distribution agreement governing the sale of Beemster cheese in Belgium and...

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA 1988) grants the copyright holder in the UK the sole authority to undertake a variety of acts in relation to any copyright work. Where those specified acts in the CDPA 1988 are carried out by someone other than the owner, without consent, this may amount to an infringement of the owner’s exclusive rights. Status of EU copyright law in the UK As of 31 January 2020, the UK ceased to be a Member State of the EU. In line with the Withdrawal Agreement, an 11‑month transition or implementation period followed, ending on 31 December 2020 (IP completion day), during which EU law continued to apply across the UK. Thereafter, EU legislation made or brought into force after that date is not binding on the UK. For pre‑existing measures, the legal position immediately before IP completion day was maintained for legal continuity by taking a snapshot of the EU rules then applicable in the UK and, for the most part, incorporating...

This Practice Note reviews the key issues a franchise agreement ought to cover, notably clear definition of the franchisee’s rights and the applicable territory, whether the grant is on an exclusive basis, thorough attention to sales targets and development plans, and the licensing of intellectual property together with the availability of trade names and domain names. It also underlines the need for a carefully drafted manual and the principal topics that manual should address. While the structure and content resemble a distribution (reseller) agreement, a franchise agreement places much greater emphasis on day‑to‑day operation to secure uniformity and consistency. The principal matters include: Scope of rights and territory Exclusivity of the franchise Sales targets and development planning IP licensing, trade names and domain names Quality and content of the operational manual Grant of rights The agreement should set out the rights conferred on the franchisee with precision, so both parties are clear about their objectives. The extent...

This Practice Note explores how manufacturers and distributors of goods work together, concentrating on the distribution contract that should govern their dealings. It touches on issues that arise before signature and outlines the key clauses—covering territory, appointment, the manufacturer’s duties, the distributor’s duties, pricing and payment, intellectual property, title in goods, data protection and termination. For template agreements, see Precedents: Distribution agreement—exclusive—long form, Distribution agreement—non-exclusive—long form and Selective distribution agreement—non-exclusive. General Unlike agency arrangements, few statutes regulate distribution in the UK beyond domestic competition law, so the parties’ contract largely dictates their relationship. A manufacturer typically wields less day‑to‑day control over a distributor than a principal does over an agent. The distinction is that an agent sells in the name of, and on behalf of, its principal, while a distributor purchases and resells on its own account. Accordingly, in a principal–agent set‑up, the principal commonly determines matters such as pricing, marketing, publicity and end‑user supply terms; by contrast, a manufacturer will usually exert far less influence over these...

This Agreement is entered into on [ date ] Parties [ insert name of party ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with registration number [ insert registered number ], whose registered office is at [ insert address ] ] (the Principal); and [ insert name of party ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with registration number [ insert registered number ], whose registered office is at [ insert address ] ] (the Agent), (each of the Principal and the Agent is a party and, taken together, the Principal and the Agent are the parties). Background The Principal provides the Services (as defined below). The Principal intends to appoint the Agent as its non-exclusive agent within the Territory (as defined below) for the [ marketing OR marketing and sale ] of the Services, on the terms of this Agreement. The Agent has agreed...

This Agreement is entered into on [ date ] Parties [ insert name of party ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (the Principal); and [ insert name of party ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (the Agent). Each of the Principal and the Agent is a party, and together the Principal and the Agent are the parties. Background The Principal [ manufactures OR manufactures and sells ] the Products (as defined below). The Principal intends to appoint the Agent as its exclusive agent in the Territory (as defined below) for the [ marketing OR marketing and sale ] of the Products, on the terms of this Agreement. The...

This Agreement is entered into on [ date ] Parties [ insert name of party ], [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with company number [ insert registered number ] and having its registered office at [ insert address ] ] (Principal); and [ insert name of party ], [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with company number [ insert registered number ] and having its registered office at [ insert address ] ] (Agent), (each of the Principal and the Agent is a party and, together, the Principal and the Agent are the parties) Background The Principal provides the Services (as defined below). The Principal intends to appoint the Agent as its exclusive agent within the Territory (as defined below) for the [ marketing OR marketing and sale ] of the Services on the terms of this Agreement. The Agent has agreed to...