Introduction
When you are a brand owner or developer of products or services, there are many ways to distribute, market, and sell your products or services. You can do it yourself (or through a subsidiary) or you can make use of a third party to do it for you, for example as a commercial agent, reseller/dealer or licensee. In addition to traditional distribution models, the rise of internet and e-commerce has led to the emergence of new distribution models, like “m-commerce”, “s-commerce”, platforms, marketplaces and subscription models. Each distribution model entails specific advantages and disadvantages and may be governed by its own set of applicable laws, which may differ per country.
This comparative study is a compilation, made by the members of our Distribution Law Network (DLN), consisting of cooperating law firms across Europe specializing in commercial and distribution law. Herein, we describe the different distribution models and the advantages and disadvantages per model. We also include new and online distribution models.
Furthermore, we provide you with an overview of the legal consequences, including competition law aspects, of using a certain distribution model in some of the most significant economies in Western Europe:
We hope this comparative study will be helpful to you, to make an informed decision about what distribution model is most suitable to your business. When you have questions, please feel free to contact the contributors to this study, members of the Distribution Law Network (DLN) and specified in Chapter F.
