經銷契約法律關係之研究

A Legal Study on the Distribution Agreement

林佳瑩(Chia-Ying Lin)

指導教授 ： 陳自強

國立臺灣大學/法律學院/法律學研究所/碩士(2010年)

https://doi.org/10.6342/NTU.2010.00101

摘要

隨著商業行銷蓬勃發展，傳統契約已不敷使用，現代新型契約自然因運而生。在現代商品行銷系統中，上下游經濟參與者透過「現代行銷契約」，發生緊密合作關係。包括「經銷商」在內之「銷售中間人」與供應商具有經常持續合作關係，與過去傳統交易型態大相逕庭，銷售中間人被整合進供應商之銷售系統中，當事人間權利義務關係究竟如何，深值探究。

本文試圖描繪現代商業契約之「經銷契約」。從商業觀點出發，與其他商業夥伴不同，經銷商之特色在於商品之轉售，承擔一定商業風險，掌握現代行銷夥伴之角色，有助於對「經銷契約」法律意義之探究，本文從經銷契約之定義、種類論及法律性質。經銷契約係商業、有償契約，並可能混合委任、授權與繼續性供給等契約類型。從比較法上觀察發現，對於經銷契約此種商業合作契約類型，提出「框架契約」此一全新契約詮釋，深值參考。經銷契約作為「框架契約」，目的在於建立雙方合作基礎；其後供應商與經銷商持續發生之各個買賣契約，則為各個獨立之「適用契約」。雖經銷契約並不直接發生商品繼續之買賣，但為達經銷契約目的，買賣契約將會持續發生。

經銷契約在於跨國商業交易常見，因而受到許多國際私法統合實質影響，其中與經銷契約最直接相關者有「國際商會獨家經銷示範契約」及「歐盟共同參考架構草案」相關部分。一般而言，經銷契約當事人互負「誠信履約義務」，具體而言，例如，經銷商負有促銷商品、維持存貨與零件、遵從指示、告知及保密等義務。相對地，供應商則負有供應商品、提供相關資料、零件與人員訓練等協力、告知等義務。在「獨家經銷契約」，因雙方建立更為緊密之合作關係，為達契約目的，經銷商與供應商各自負有更為嚴格之特殊契約義務。

經銷實務重大爭議常發生於「契約終止與補償」。有鑒於經銷契約乃長期繼續性契約，雙方當事人欲結束合作關係除「契約屆期」外，主要為「終止契約」。契約終止分為「通知終止」與「理由終止」，「通知終止」須踐行「適當通知期間」；「理由終止」則需有正當理由始可立即終止契約，例如存在重大違約等事由。經銷契約終止後，除「損害賠償」外，比較法上出現「終止補償」立法例。縱契約當事人合法終止經銷契約，然基於公平原則，經銷商於一定條件下得以請求契約終止之「信譽補償」。

關鍵字

經銷商 ； 銷售中間人 ； 框架契約 ； 適用契約 ； 國際商會獨家經銷示範契約 ； 歐盟共同參考架構草案

並列摘要

As the international market vigorously thrives, new kinds of contracts were created. ”Marketing contracts” are agreements among economic actors of different levels in the marketing chain. By integrating the ”Middleman” to the sale system, supplier and the middlemen deeply collaborate.

Obviously, the economic importance of distribution agreements is enormous since they form the connection between producers and retailers. As a reseller, a distributor takes some commercial risk from the supplier. Distribution agreement is a business contract with remuneration, and mixed with service, licensing and supply contracts. From the viewpoint of the comparative law, a distribution contract is a framework agreement, which provides the context for subsequent contracts. As a framework agreement, a distribution contract specifies the basic rights and obligations between distributors and suppliers.

According to “The ICC Model Distributorship Contract (Sole Importer/Distributor)” and “Principles, Definitions and Model Rules of European Private Law”, the obligations to cooperate is fundamental. It requires the parties to perform their respective efforts actively and loyally in order to achieve the objective of the contract. For example, the distributors should promote and sell the goods, provide proper storage and spare parts of products, information and keep confidentiality. On the other hand, the suppliers should supply and advertise goods, provide information and keep confidentiality. If the parties agree to sign an exclusivity clause, they normally have a closer relationship, which requires a higher degree of collaboration and royalty to each other.

A distributor contract ends upon the expiry of its term or by the termination. There are two kinds of the terminations. First, the parties to a contract for an indefinite period may terminate the contract by giving notice in advance. Second, the parties may terminate the contract pursuant to the agreement clause, for example, when one party’s default is fundamental. In certain countries, after the termination of the contract, the aggrieved party is entitled to damages. In addition, either party is entitled to goodwill compensation under the principal of fair

並列關鍵字

Middleman ； distribution agreements ； framework agreement ； subsequent contract ； The ICC Model Distributorship Contract (Sole Importer/Distributor) ； Principles ； Definitions and Model Rules of European Private Law.

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