Discussion:
ok, this is probably a stupid question but i'm going to ask it anyway, i'll put it into a different context to the actual situation however...
Lets supose 'spindlers spades' is a spade manufacturing company, and they distribute spades to 'gregs garden shop' a shop selling spades etc. If I too owned a shop that sold similar goods, could i go and buy one of gregs spades then sell it at my shop for an extra bit of money? (obviously this wouldnt arise anyway as it would be far more profitable to buy from the distributer, but none the less would this be legal?)
Further more, would it be legal for me to take the handle off the spade and sell it seperately to the rest? If this was illegal would i have to ask for permition from the shop or distributer to resell the goods? Any feedback would be appreciated...
Answer:
It would be up to the manufacturer and/or distributor if you could do as you stated. Gregs Garden shop may have an exclusive area contract with the Spindlers that guarantees Gregs will be the only retailer of the spades in a certain area. You could be slapped with a cease and desist order and pay some hefty fines. Also, if you are not an authorized reseller of Spindlers spades, they do not have to honor the warranty on the spades. Without consulting the manufacturer, you could open yourself up to a heep of trouble.