As a business owner or representative in California, you know how important it is to do all you can to remain competitive in your space. That may require a great deal of effort on your part (and that of your team) to optimize all opportunities to distinguish yourself from your competitors. Yet the anticipated returns on all that work often depend on your competition playing by the proverbial rules.
Many in your same position come to us here at Cadden & Fuller LLP questioning what sort of legal recourse may be available to them if and when their competitors resort to deceptive trade practices. Before you ask the same question, however, you should understand exactly what qualifies as such.
Deceptive trade practice law in California
According to the California Civil Code, there are a number of different actions that qualify as deceptive trade practices. Among the more common of these are:
- A competitor passing off your goods or services as their own
- A competitor misrepresenting themselves as having your company’s sponsorship or an affiliation with your organization
- A competitor advertising goods or services without the intent to sell them as advertised (or to offer sufficient quantity to meet expected demand)
- A competitor making false or unsubstantiated claims disparaging your company’s goods or services
- A competitor making false claims about price reductions
Legal remedies available to you
What can you do if your competitor engages in any such practices (or another defined by the statute)? By seeking immediate injunctive relief, you can stop them from damaging your company while you assess the situation and determine whether or not to seek damages.
You can learn more about identifying potentially unfair business practices by continuing to explore our site.
