4-243.01. Purchasing from other than primary source of supply unlawful; definitions

A. It is unlawful:

1. For any supplier to solicit, accept or fill any order for any spirituous liquor from any wholesaler in this state unless the supplier is the primary source of supply for the brand of spirituous liquor sold or sought to be sold and is duly licensed by the board.

2. For any wholesaler or any other licensee in this state to order, purchase or receive any spirituous liquor from any supplier unless the supplier is the primary source of supply for the brand ordered, purchased or received.

3. Except as provided by section 4-243.02 for a retailer to order, purchase or receive any spirituous liquor from any source other than any of the following:

(a) A wholesaler that has purchased the brand from the primary source of supply.

(b) A wholesaler that is the designated representative of the primary source of supply in this state and that has purchased such spirituous liquor from the designated representative of the primary source of supply within or without this state.

(c) A registered retail agent pursuant to section 4-101.

(d) A farm winery licensed under section 4-205.04 and subject to the limitations prescribed in section 4-205.04, subsection C, paragraph 7.

(e) A licensed microbrewery licensed under section 4-205.08.

B. All spirituous liquor shipped into this state shall be invoiced to the wholesaler by the primary source of supply. All spirituous liquor shall be unloaded and remain at the wholesaler's premises for at least twenty-four hours. A copy of each invoice shall be transmitted by the wholesaler and the primary source of supply to the department of revenue.

C. The director may suspend for a period of one year the license of any wholesaler or retailer who violates this section.

D. Upon determination by the department of revenue that a primary source of supply has violated this section, no wholesaler may accept any shipment of spirituous liquor from such primary source of supply for a period of one year.

E. For the purposes of this section:

1. " Primary source of supply" means the distiller, producer, owner of the commodity at the time it becomes a marketable product, bottler or exclusive agent of any such distributor or owner. In the case of imported products, the primary source of supply means either the foreign producer, owner, bottler or agent or the prime importer from, or the exclusive agent in, the United States of the foreign distiller, producer, bottler or owner.

2. " Wholesaler" means any person, firm or corporation that is licensed in this state to sell to retailers and that is engaged in the business of warehousing and distributing brands of various suppliers to retailers generally in the marketing area in which the wholesaler is located.