Resale Price Maintenance (RPM) refers to arrangements whereby a supplier, manufacturer, or licensor sets a minimum for, or otherwise restricts the price at which downstream distributors or retailers may resell goods or services. Such arrangements may arise through explicit contractual provisions or through indirect mechanisms that, in practice, limit the pricing autonomy of distributors. RPM clauses are subject to heightened scrutiny across competition law regimes and are frequently treated as serious infringements, particularly where they involves minimum or fixed resale prices. Enforcement trends across Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, COMESA, and ECOWAS reflect an increasingly strict approach, including significant financial fines and, in certain jurisdictions, potential criminal liability.
