The FTC's Shifting Policy Regarding “Unfair Methods of Competition” In 1914, Congress passed the Federal Trade Commission Act. Section 5 of the FTC Act makes "unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce" unlawful.
The two most significant statutory provisions are Section 5(a) of the FTC Act and the Clayton Act. Section 5(a) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. Sec. 45(a), prohibits, inter alia, “unfair methods of competition.” Unfair methods of competition include any conduct that would violate the Sherman Antitrust Act or the Clayton Act.
Two common examples of unfair competition are trademark infringement and misappropriation. The right to publicity is often invoked in misappropriation issues. Other practices that fall into the area of unfair competition include: False advertising.
These include: Performance enhancing drugs: When athletes turn to performance enhancing drugs such as steroids or human growth hormones, they gain an unfair advantage over others.
Unfair competition is conduct by a market participant which gains or seeks to gain an advantage over its rivals through misleading, deceptive, dishonest, fraudulent, coercive or unconscionable conduct in trade or commerce.
17200. As used in this chapter, unfair competition shall mean and include any unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or misleading advertising and any act prohibited by Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 17500) of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code.
The law describes “unfair competition” as any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice, or false, deceptive, or misleading advertising. To pursue lawsuits under California's unfair competition law, a consumer or business must prove suffering and financial or property losses due to an unfair practice.
The phrase unfair trade practices can be defined as any business practice or act that is deceptive, fraudulent, or causes injury to a consumer. These practices can include acts that are deemed unlawful, such as those that violate a consumer protection law.
"Unfair competition" includes several causes of action including: 1) passing off or palming off; 2) trade secret misappropriation, and 3) common law misappropriation. Id.; Conceal City, L.L.C. v. Looper Law Enforcement, LLC, 917 F.
As a general rule, any act or practice carried out in the course of industrial or commercial activities contrary to honest practices constitutes an act of unfair competition; the decisive criterion being “contrary to honest practices”.