Define: Other Business(es)
In a contract, Other Business(es) refers to any commercial activity, venture, or line of work carried out by a party or its affiliates that falls outside the primary business activity defined in the agreement. The term is typically used to scope exclusivity clauses, restrictive covenants, warranties, or reporting obligations so they only capture activity beyond the core, agreed-upon purpose of the relationship.
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What Other Business(es) Means in a Contract
Other Business(es) is a defined term used to draw a line between the core, agreed-upon activity a party performs under a contract and everything else that party (or its affiliates) might do commercially. It is a boundary-marking phrase, not a description of any specific activity. Once defined, it lets drafters attach obligations, restrictions, or disclosures to activities falling outside the primary business without having to list every conceivable venture by name.
The term matters most in agreements where one party's other commercial interests could create conflicts, competition, or confusion about scope. For example, a franchise agreement might use Other Business(es) to describe activities the franchisee runs alongside the franchised operation, while a joint venture agreement might use it to capture what each partner does outside the venture itself. The defined term gives both sides a shared vocabulary for discussing activity that sits adjacent to, but separate from, the contract's main subject.
Because the definition typically excludes a named.
Relevant Circumstances
- When restrictions on activity carve out the entity's primary trade
- If a non-compete needs to define which adjacent businesses are caught
- Where reporting obligations apply to operations outside the core business