Rhode Island § 3-13-5 - Malt Beverage Supplier-Wholesaler Agreements

§ 3-13-5. Prohibited conduct.

No supplier shall:

(1) Induce or coerce, or attempt to induce or coerce, any wholesaler to accept delivery of any malt beverage or any other item or commodity which has not been ordered by the wholesaler. Provided, that recommendation, endorsement, exposition, persuasion, or argument is not deemed to constitute inducements, coercion, or requirements prohibited by this section.

(2) Induce or coerce, or attempt to induce or coerce, any wholesaler to engage in any illegal act or course of conduct or to resign from an agreement by means of any threat, expressed or implied, to cancel, fail to renew, otherwise terminate an agreement, any requirement imposed on the wholesaler pursuant to an agreement or any contract or other arrangement ancillary or collateral to these.

(3) Require a wholesaler to assent to any requirement, condition, understanding, or term of an agreement limiting the wholesaler’s right to sell the product of any other supplier.

(4) Fix or maintain the price at which a wholesaler may resell malt beverages, whether by the terms or requirements imposed on the wholesaler under an agreement, the manner of their enforcement, or otherwise.

(5) Impose, attempt to impose, or enforce against a wholesaler any requirement, standard of performance, or term, including the terms of sale of malt beverages sold to the wholesaler, which is discriminatory as compared with the requirements, standards, or terms imposed by the supplier on other similarly situated wholesalers within this state. Differences in any requirement, standard, or term imposed by a supplier under its agreement or in the manner of their enforcement are permitted only if and to the extent they are based on proper and justifiable distinctions considering the purposes of this chapter, and are not arbitrary.

(6) Fail to provide to each wholesaler of its brands after May 22, 1982 a written contract which conforms to this chapter and embodies the supplier’s agreement with its wholesalers, including the essential requirements, standards of performance, and terms imposed by the supplier. In the event of failure to provide that written contract, any agreement in existence upon May 22, 1982 must conform to this chapter and is subject to this chapter until the written contract is provided.