Section 28-8-8

Unlawful acts and offenses; penalties.

(a) Unlawful acts and offenses. -It shall be unlawful:

(1) For any manufacturer or importer licensed by the board to sell its brand or brands of alcoholic beverages in the State of Alabama to any person, except through the board in the case of spirituous liquor and wine, other than to a licensed wholesaler designated as the exclusive wholesaler for said brand or brands.

(2) For any wholesaler to sell to a retail licensee any brand of alcoholic beverages in the State of Alabama, except in the sales territory designated by the manufacturer or importer licensee and set forth in a written territorial agreement authorizing the sale by such wholesaler licensee of that brand within a designated territory; provided, however, a licensed wholesaler may, with the approval of the board, service a territory outside the territory designated to it during periods of temporary service interruptions when so requested by the manufacturer or importer and the designated wholesaler within such territory whose service is temporarily interrupted.

(3) For any wholesaler to sell to a retail licensee any brand of alcoholic beverages in the State of Alabama unless there is in effect a territorial agreement in writing between the licensed manufacturer or importer thereof and said licensed wholesaler authorizing the sale by such wholesaler of that brand within a designated territory.

(4) For any licensed retailer to purchase any brand of alcoholic beverages from any wholesaler which has not been designated by the licensed manufacturer or importer thereof as the wholesaler for such brand for the sales territory within which the retailer's place of business is located.

(b) Penalties. - Any violations of the provisions of this chapter subject the licensee to suspension or revocation of its license or to the levy of a fine in lieu of such suspension or revocation as set forth in Section 28-3A-24.

(Acts 1984, No. 84-374, p. 876, §8.)