Competition Act 1998: Primary UK legislation governing competition law, prohibiting anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant market position, crucial for exclusive franchise arrangements
Enterprise Act 2002: Legislation providing framework for market regulation and competition law enforcement, relevant for market position of franchise networks
Companies Act 2006: Core company law legislation affecting corporate structure, governance, and business relationships including franchise operations
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Key legislation protecting consumer rights, relevant when franchise operations involve consumer-facing business
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Legislation governing data protection and privacy requirements in franchise operations
Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Order (VABEO) 2022: Post-Brexit regulation providing block exemption for certain vertical agreements, including franchise agreements, from competition law prohibitions
Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Legislation regulating unfair terms in business contracts, including franchise agreements
Misrepresentation Act 1967: Law governing misrepresentation in contract formation, relevant for franchise disclosure and representations
Trading Schemes Act 1996: Legislation regulating trading schemes, relevant for certain franchise structures
Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008: Regulations protecting businesses from misleading marketing, important for franchise recruitment and B2B relationships
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008: Regulations protecting consumers from unfair trading practices, relevant for consumer-facing franchise operations
Intellectual Property Laws: Various laws protecting trademarks, patents, and other IP rights essential to franchise systems
Common Law Contract Principles: Fundamental principles of contract law developed through case law, governing contract formation and enforcement
Retained EU Competition Law: EU-derived competition law principles retained in UK law post-Brexit, affecting vertical agreements including franchising
Sector-Specific Regulations: Industry-specific regulations that may apply depending on the nature of the franchise business
