§ 6-6

Except as otherwise provided in this Act no manufacturer or distributor or importing distributor shall, directly or indirectly, sell, supply, furnish, give or pay for, or loan or lease, any furnishing, fixture or equipment on the premises of a place of business of another licensee authorized under this Act to sell alcoholic liquor at retail, either for consumption on or off the premises, nor shall he or she, directly or indirectly, pay for any such license, or advance, furnish, lend or give money for payment of such license, or purchase or become the owner of any note, mortgage, or other evidence of indebtedness of such licensee or any form of security therefor, nor shall such manufacturer, or distributor, or importing distributor, directly or indirectly, be interested in the ownership, conduct or operation of the business of any licensee authorized to sell alcoholic liquor at retail, nor shall any manufacturer, or distributor, or importing distributor be interested directly or indirectly or as owner or part owner of said premises or as lessee or lessor thereof, in any premises upon which alcoholic liquor is sold at retail. No manufacturer or distributor or importing distributor shall, directly or indirectly or through a subsidiary or affiliate, or by any officer, director or firm of such manufacturer, distributor or importing distributor, furnish, give, lend or rent, install, repair or maintain, to or for any retail licensee in this State, any signs or inside advertising materials except as provided in this Section and Section 6-5. With respect to retail licensees, other than any government owned or operated auditorium, exhibition hall, recreation facility or other similar facility holding a retailer's license as described in Section 6-5, a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor may furnish, give, lend or rent and erect, install, repair and maintain to or for any retail licensee, for use at any one time in or about or in connection with a retail establishment on which the products of the manufacturer, distributor or importing distributor are sold, the following signs and inside advertising materials as authorized in subparts (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv): (i) Permanent outside signs shall cost not more than $3,000 per brand, exclusive of erection, installation, repair and maintenance costs, and permit fees and shall bear only the manufacturer's name, brand name, trade name, slogans, markings, trademark, or other symbols commonly associated with and generally used in identifying the product including, but not limited to, "cold beer", "on tap", "carry out", and "packaged liquor". (ii) Temporary outside signs shall include, but not be limited to, banners, flags, pennants, streamers, and other items of a temporary and non-permanent nature, and shall cost not more than $1,000 per manufacturer. Each temporary outside sign must include the manufacturer's name, brand name, trade name, slogans, markings, trademark, or other symbol commonly associated with and generally used in identifying the product. Temporary outside signs may also include, for example, the product, price, packaging, date or dates of a promotion and an announcement of a retail licensee's specific sponsored event, if the temporary outside sign is intended to promote a product, and provided that the announcement of the retail licensee's event and the product promotion are held simultaneously. However, temporary outside signs may not include names, slogans, markings, or logos that relate to the retailer. Nothing in this subpart (ii) shall prohibit a distributor or importing distributor from bearing the cost of creating or printing a temporary outside sign for the retail licensee's specific sponsored event or from bearing the cost of creating or printing a temporary sign for a retail licensee containing, for example, community goodwill expressions, regional sporting event announcements, or seasonal messages, provided that the primary purpose of the temporary outside sign is to highlight, promote, or advertise the product. In addition, temporary outside signs provided by the manufacturer to the distributor or importing distributor may also include, for example, subject to the limitations of this Section, preprinted community goodwill expressions, sporting event announcements, seasonal messages, and manufacturer promotional announcements. However, a distributor or importing distributor shall not bear the cost of such manufacturer preprinted signs. (iii) Permanent inside signs, whether visible from the outside or the inside of the premises, include, but are not limited to: alcohol lists and menus that may include names, slogans, markings, or logos that relate to the retailer; neons; illuminated signs; clocks; table lamps; mirrors; tap handles; decalcomanias; window painting; and window trim. All neons, illuminated signs, clocks, table lamps, mirrors, and tap handles are the property of the manufacturer and shall be returned to the manufacturer or its agent upon request. All permanent inside signs in place and in use at any one time shall cost in the aggregate not more than $6,000 per manufacturer. A permanent inside sign must include the manufacturer's name, brand name, trade name, slogans, markings, trademark, or other symbol commonly associated with and generally used in identifying the product. However, permanent inside signs may not include names, slogans, markings, or logos that relate to the retailer. For the purpose of this subpart (iii), all permanent inside signs may be displayed in an adjacent courtyard or patio commonly referred to as a "beer garden" that is a part of the retailer's licensed premises. (iv) Temporary inside signs shall include, but are not limited to, lighted chalk boards, acrylic table tent beverage or hors d'oeuvre list holders, banners, flags, pennants, streamers, and inside advertising materials such as posters, placards, bowling sheets, table tents, inserts for acrylic table tent beverage or hors d'oeuvre list holders, sports schedules, or similar printed or illustrated materials and product displays, such as display racks, bins, barrels, or similar items, the primary function of which is to temporarily hold and display alcoholic beverages; however, such items, for example, as coasters, trays, napkins, glassware, growlers, crowlers, and cups shall not be deemed to be inside signs or advertising materials and may only be sold to retailers at fair market value, which shall be no less than the cost of the item to the manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor. All temporary inside signs and inside advertising materials in place and in use at any one time shall cost in the aggregate not more than $1,000 per manufacturer. Nothing in this subpart (iv) prohibits a distributor or importing distributor from paying the cost of printing or creating any temporary inside banner or inserts for acrylic table tent beverage or hors d'oeuvre list holders for a retail licensee, provided that the primary purpose for the banner or insert is to highlight, promote, or advertise the product. For the purpose of this subpart (iv), all temporary inside signs and inside advertising materials may be displayed in an adjacent courtyard or patio commonly referred to as a "beer garden" that is a part of the retailer's licensed premises. The restrictions contained in this Section 6-6 do not apply to signs, or promotional or advertising materials furnished by manufacturers, distributors or importing distributors to a government owned or operated facility holding a retailer's license as described in Section 6-5. No distributor or importing distributor shall directly or indirectly or through a subsidiary or affiliate, or by any officer, director or firm of such manufacturer, distributor or importing distributor, furnish, give, lend or rent, install, repair or maintain, to or for any retail licensee in this State, any signs or inside advertising materials described in subparts (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this Section except as the agent for or on behalf of a manufacturer, provided that the total cost of any signs and inside advertising materials including but not limited to labor, erection, installation and permit fees shall be paid by the manufacturer whose product or products said signs and inside advertising materials advertise and except as follows: A distributor or importing distributor may purchase from or enter into a written agreement with a manufacturer or a manufacturer's designated supplier and such manufacturer or the manufacturer's designated supplier may sell or enter into an agreement to sell to a distributor or importing distributor permitted signs and advertising materials described in subparts (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this Section for the purpose of furnishing, giving, lending, renting, installing, repairing, or maintaining such signs or advertising materials to or for any retail licensee in this State. Any purchase by a distributor or importing distributor from a manufacturer or a manufacturer's designated supplier shall be voluntary and the manufacturer may not require the distributor or the importing distributor to purchase signs or advertising materials from the manufacturer or the manufacturer's designated supplier. A distributor or importing distributor shall be deemed the owner of such signs or advertising materials purchased from a manufacturer or a manufacturer's designated supplier. The provisions of Public Act 90-373 concerning signs or advertising materials delivered by a manufacturer to a distributor or importing distributor shall apply only to signs or advertising materials delivered on or after August 14, 1997. A manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor may furnish free social media advertising to a retail licensee if the social media advertisement does not contain the retail price of any alcoholic liquor and the social media advertisement complies with any applicable rules or regulations issued by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. A manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor may list the names of one or more unaffiliated retailers in the advertisement of alcoholic liquor through social media. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a retailer from communicating with a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor on social media or sharing media on the social media of a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor. A retailer may request free social media advertising from a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor from sharing, reposting, or otherwise forwarding a social media post by a retail licensee, so long as the sharing, reposting, or forwarding of the social media post does not contain the retail price of any alcoholic liquor. No manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor shall pay or reimburse a retailer, directly or indirectly, for any social media advertising services, except as specifically permitted in this Act. No retailer shall accept any payment or reimbursement, directly or indirectly, for any social media advertising services offered by a manufacturer, distributor, or importing distributor, except as specifically permitted in this Act. For the purposes of this Section, "social media" means a service, platform, or site where users communicate with one another and share media, such as pictures, videos, music, and blogs, with other users free of charge. No person engaged in the business of manufacturing, importing or distributing alcoholic liquors shall, directly or indirectly, pay for, or advance, furnish, or lend money for the payment of any license for another. Any licensee who shall permit or assent, or be a party in any way to any violation or infringement of the provisions of this Section shall be deemed guilty of a violation of this Act, and any money loaned contrary to a provision of this Act shall not be recovered back, or any note, mortgage or other evidence of indebtedness, or security, or any lease or contract obtained or made contrary to this Act shall be unenforceable and void. This Section shall not apply to airplane licensees exercising powers provided in paragraph (i) of Section 5-1 of this Act.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-16, eff. 6-14-19; 101-517, eff. 8-23-19; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21.)