Wine Retailers, Third Party Marketers and New York

tpmMany wine retailer will have noted the increase in what are called “Third Party Marketers” (TPM) over the past few years. These TPMs are essentially unlicensed advertisers that put a wine or set of wines in front of their readers. Some TPM have very large audiences. Lot 18 and Amazon.com are among two of the better known.

Many wine retailer will also have noticed that the New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA)  recently declared one particular model for administering transactions resulting from TPM activity to be contrary to its state liquor regulations.

The National Association of Wine Retailers supports the important work of TPM to help put wine products in front of more consumers and NAWR has reached out to the NYSLA to urge them to release a set of well defined protocols that allow retailers and suppliers to work with TPM. The NYSLA has in fact said it will be working just such an advisory.

Is is important that wine retailers across the country understand the meaning of the recent NYSLA ruling. Toward that end, we link here to a series of articles explaining and analyzing that ruling.

THE NYSLA RULING: WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO LICENSEES AND THIRD PARTY MARKETERS
Lex Vini (A Wine Law Blog from Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty)

THE NY SLA AND ONLINE SALES: A WORK IN PROGRESS
The Booze Rules Blog (Hinman and Carmichael)

A RESPONSE TO NEW YORK DECLARATORY RULING
ShipCompliant