Luxury Goods in E-Commerce - The Judicial Relevance of the Luxury-Concept when Selective Distriution Networks Prohibit Online Distribution

Abstract

About: As the Internet has established itself as a major market platform for the distribution of goods, suppliers also have a keen economic interest of making their goods available online. In order to protect the value of luxury goods some suppliers set up selective distribution networks that restrict the online distribution of the goods. However, these types of arrangements are far from unproblematic in EU Competition law. This thesis aims to research the judicial relevance of the luxury-concept in regard to the legality of selective distribution networks that restrict the distribution of luxury goods on the Internet.