Sale of Goods Act 1979: Primary legislation governing sales contracts in England and Wales. Covers fundamental aspects including implied terms, transfer of title, and provides statutory rights and remedies for both parties.
Competition Act 1998: Regulates exclusive dealing arrangements and ensures compliance with competition law. Critical for exclusive sales contracts to prevent anti-competitive practices.
Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Controls the limitation and exclusion of liability in contracts. Implements a reasonableness test for contract terms and provides statutory limits on exclusion clauses.
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Provides mandatory consumer protections and regulates unfair terms in consumer contracts. Relevant if the exclusive sales contract involves B2C relationships.
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999: Governs how and when third parties may enforce terms of a contract to which they are not a direct party.
EU Retained Law: Post-Brexit legislation including Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation and retained EU competition law principles applicable to exclusive distribution agreements.
Common Law Principles: Fundamental contract law principles including offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, and capacity to contract.
International Trade Laws: Including UN Convention on Contracts for International Sale of Goods (CISG) and Incoterms, relevant for international exclusive sales arrangements.
