Industrial drone supplier, EE Group Australia Pty Ltd (EE Group), has admitted to engaging in resale price maintenance by directing certain resellers to not advertise or sell DJI drone products to consumers below a specified price.
Between April 2024 and at least June 2025, EE Group directed its resellers to not sell DJI drone products below the recommended retail price, and resellers were required to agree to comply with EE Group's pricing strategy. EE Group also informed some resellers that it would not supply them with DJI drone products if they did not agree to sell those products at a specified minimum price.
Under Australia's competition law, it is illegal for suppliers to prevent, or attempt to prevent, resellers from advertising or selling goods or services below a specified minimum price. This conduct is known as resale price maintenance.
"Resale price maintenance is illegal because it stops retailers from competing with each other on price, leading to higher prices for consumers," ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said.
"Recommended retail prices are only a recommendation or suggestion and cannot be mandated by a supplier or distributor."
"We are warning all businesses that we will continue to take enforcement action against companies who engage in this illegal practice," Mr Woodward said.
In a court-enforceable undertaking, which has been accepted by the ACCC, EE Group has admitted to breaching the Competition and Consumer Act, committed to issuing corrective notices advising resellers that they are free to set their own prices, and will implement and maintain a competition and consumer law compliance program for three years.
The undertaking is available at: EE Group Australia Pty Ltd
Note
Resale price maintenance is strictly prohibited by Australia's competition laws. It occurs when suppliers:
- make it known they will not supply goods or services unless a reseller agrees not to advertise or sell at a price below a specified minimum price;
- induce, or attempt to induce, resellers not to advertise or sell below a specified minimum price;
- enter into agreements, or offer to enter into agreements, for the supply of goods or services on terms including that the reseller must not advertise or sell below a specified minimum price;
- withhold supply of goods or services because a reseller, or a purchaser from the reseller, has not agreed not to advertise or sell below a specified minimum price, or has advertised or sold (or is likely to sell) at a price below a specified minimum price;
- use, in relation to goods or services supplied or that may be supplied, a statement as to price which is likely to be understood as the price below which the goods or services are not to be sold.
Businesses may lodge a notification of resale price maintenance conduct with the ACCC or apply for ACCC authorisation of proposed resale price maintenance conduct, which will be permitted if the likely public benefit from the proposed conduct outweighs the likely detriment from that conduct.
More information about resale price maintenance can be found at Minimum resale prices.
Addressing anti-competitive agreements and practices is an enduring compliance and enforcement priority for the ACCC.
More information about the ACCC's use of section 87B undertakings is available in the Guidelines on ACCC approach to court enforceable undertakings.
Background
EE Group is a distributor of DJI products supplied by iFlight Technology Co Ltd (DJI), including enterprise drones as well as agricultural drones.
EE Group sells its products to independent resellers throughout Australia who then sell these products to consumers. It does not supply its products directly to consumers.
