Competition and Consumer Act. Australia

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      45B Covenants affecting competition

      (1) A covenant, whether the covenant was given before or after the commencement of this section, is unenforceable in so far as it confers rights or benefits or imposes duties or obligations on a corporation or on a person associated with a corporation if the covenant has, or is likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in any market in which the corporation or any person associated with the corporation supplies or acquires, or is likely to supply or acquire, goods or services or would, but for the covenant, supply or acquire, or be likely to supply or acquire, goods or services.

      (2) A corporation or a person associated with a corporation shall not:

      (a) require the giving of a covenant, or give a covenant, if the proposed covenant has the purpose, or would have or be likely to have the effect, of substantially lessening competition in any market in which:

      (i) the corporation, or any person associated with the corporation by virtue of paragraph (7)(b), supplies or acquires, is likely to supply or acquire, or would, but for the covenant, supply or acquire, or be likely to supply or acquire, goods or services; or

      (ii) any person associated with the corporation by virtue of the operation of paragraph (7)(a) supplies or acquires, is likely to supply or acquire, or would, but for the covenant, supply or acquire, or be likely to supply or acquire, goods or services, being a supply or acquisition in relation to which that person is, or would be, under an obligation to act in accordance with directions, instructions or wishes of the corporation;

      (b) threaten to engage in particular conduct if a person who, but for subsection (1), would be bound by a covenant does not comply with the terms of the covenant; or

      (c) engage in particular conduct by reason that a person who, but for subsection (1), would be bound by a covenant has failed to comply, or proposes or threatens to fail to comply, with the terms of the covenant.

      (3) Where a person:

      (a) issues an invitation to another person to enter into a contract containing a covenant;

      (b) makes an offer to another person to enter into a contract containing a covenant; or

      (c) makes it known that the person will not enter into a contract of a particular kind unless the contract contains a covenant of a particular kind or in particular terms;

      the first-mentioned person shall, by issuing that invitation, making that offer or making that fact known, be deemed to require the giving of the covenant.

      (4) For the purposes of this section, a covenant or proposed covenant shall be deemed to have, or to be likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market if the covenant or proposed covenant, as the case may be, would have, or be likely to have, that effect when taken together with the effect or likely effect on competition in that market of any other covenant or proposed covenant to the benefit of which:

      (a) a corporation that, or person who, is or would be, or but for subsection (1) would be, entitled to the benefit of the first-mentioned covenant or proposed covenant; or

      (b) a person associated with the corporation referred to in paragraph (a) or a corporation associated with the person referred to in that paragraph;

      is or would be, or but for subsection (1) would be, entitled.

      (5) The requiring of the giving of, or the giving of, a covenant does not constitute a contravention of this section by reason that giving effect to the covenant would, or would but for the operation of subsection 88(8) or section 93, constitute a contravention of section 47 and this section does not apply to or in relation to engaging in conduct in relation to a covenant by way of:

      (a) conduct that contravenes, or would but for the operation of subsection 88(8) or section 93 contravene, section 47; or

      (b) doing an act by reason of a breach or threatened breach of a condition referred to in subsection 47(2), (4), (6) or (8), being an act done by a person at a time when:

      (i) an authorization under subsection 88(8) is in force in relation to conduct engaged in by that person on that condition; or

      (ii) by reason of subsection 93(7) conduct engaged in by that person on that condition is not to be taken to have the effect of substantially lessening competition within the meaning of section 47; or

      (iii) a notice under subsection 93(1) is in force in relation to conduct engaged in by that person on that condition.

      (6) This section does not apply to or in relation to a covenant or proposed covenant where the only persons who are or would be respectively bound by, or entitled to the benefit of, the covenant or proposed covenant are persons who are associated with each other or are bodies corporate that are related to each other.

      (7) For the purposes of this section, section 45C and subparagraph 87(3)(a)(ii), a person and a corporation shall be taken to be associated with each other in relation to a covenant or proposed covenant if, and only if:

      (a) the person is under an obligation (otherwise than in pursuance of the covenant or proposed covenant), whether formal or informal, to act in accordance with directions, instructions or wishes of the corporation in relation to the covenant or proposed covenant; or

      (b) the person is a body corporate in relation to which the corporation is in the position mentioned in subparagraph 4A(1)(a)(ii).

      (8) The requiring by a person of the giving of, or the giving by a person of, a covenant in relation to which subsection 88(5) applies is not a contravention of subsection (2) of this section if:

      (a) the covenant is subject to a condition that the covenant will not come into force unless and until the person is granted an authorization to require the giving of, or to give, the covenant; and

      (b) the person applies for the grant of such an authorization within 14 days after the covenant is given;

      but nothing in this subsection affects the application of paragraph (2)(b) or (c) in relation to the covenant.

      (9) This section does not apply to or in relation to a covenant or proposed covenant if:

      (a) the sole or principal purpose for which the covenant was or is required to be given was or is to prevent the relevant land from being used otherwise than for residential purposes;

      (b) the person who required or requires the covenant to be given was or is a religious, charitable or public benevolent institution or a trustee for such an institution and the covenant was or is required to be given for or in accordance with the purposes or objects of that institution; or

      (c) the covenant was or is required to be given in pursuance of a legally enforceable requirement made by, or by a trustee for, a religious, charitable or public benevolent institution, being a requirement made for or in accordance with the purposes or objects of that institution.