Competition Act 1998: Primary UK legislation governing competition law, particularly relevant for Chapter I and II prohibitions regarding anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant market position in exclusive distribution arrangements
EU Retained Law - Vertical Agreements: Post-Brexit retained EU law specifically dealing with vertical agreements between suppliers and distributors, including rules on territorial restrictions and market share thresholds
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Legislation protecting consumer rights, relevant if the reseller will be selling to end consumers rather than businesses
Sale of Goods Act 1979: Fundamental legislation governing the sale of goods in commercial relationships, including terms about title, description, quality, and fitness for purpose
Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982: Legislation governing contracts for the supply of goods and services, particularly relevant for any ancillary services provided under the reseller agreement
Trade Marks Act 1994: Legislation protecting trademark rights and governing their use, crucial for defining how the reseller may use the supplier's brands and marks
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: Legislation protecting intellectual property rights, relevant for any marketing materials, technical documentation, or software provided to the reseller
Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Legislation regulating the limitation and exclusion of liability in contracts, particularly important for B2B agreements
Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998: Legislation providing statutory rights to claim interest on late commercial payments
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Legislation governing when third parties may enforce terms of a contract, relevant for sub-distributors or end customers
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018: Data protection legislation governing the processing of personal data, relevant for customer data sharing between supplier and reseller
Commercial Agents Regulations 1993: Regulations implementing EU Directive on commercial agents, important to ensure clear distinction between reseller and agency relationships to avoid unintended obligations
VABER (Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation): Competition law regulation providing safe harbor for certain vertical agreements, setting out permitted and prohibited practices in distribution arrangements
