Article 23

①The provisions of this Act do not apply to legitimate acts by an enterprise that produces or sells goods designated by the Japan Fair Trade Commission of easily recognizable uniform quality, in order to fix and maintain the resale price with another enterprise that purchases the goods (this term "resale price" means the price at which the latter enterprise or an enterprise that purchases the goods from the latter enterprise for sale sells it; the same applies hereinafter) provided, however, that this does not apply if the act tends to unreasonably harm the interests of general consumers, or if it is engaged in by an enterprise that sells the goods against the will of the enterprise that produces the goods.

②The Japan Fair Trade Commission must not designate goods under the provisions of the preceding paragraph unless each of the following items applies:

③The designation of goods under the provisions of paragraph (1) is made via a public notice.

④Paragraph (1) also applies to legitimate acts by an enterprise that publishes works or an enterprise that sells the published works in order to fix and maintain the resale price with another enterprise that purchases the works.

⑤Organizations formed pursuant to the provisions of any of the following Acts are not to be included in another enterprise who purchases goods or works provided in paragraph (1) or the preceding paragraph provided, however, that for organizations formed pursuant to the provisions of any of the Acts listed in items (vii) and (x), this only applies if a business cooperative, a small business cooperative, a federation of cooperatives, a commercial and industrial partnership, or a federation of commercial and industrial partnerships purchases such goods as provided in paragraph (2) or the works as provided in the preceding paragraph, for the consumption of persons directly or indirectly constituting the relevant business cooperative, federation of cooperatives, commercial and industrial partnerships, or a federation of commercial and industrial partnerships:

⑥If an enterprise as provided in paragraph (1) has entered into a contract that fixes and maintains the resale price as provided in that paragraph, it must notify the Japan Fair Trade Commission as provided in the Rules of the Japan Fair Trade Commission within thirty days from the date of the contract provided, however, that this does not apply if otherwise prescribed by the Rules of the Japan Fair Trade Commission.