In a market economy, competition is an inevitable phenomenon. Fair competition can promote the healthy development of the market economy, however, unfair competition will undermine the fair order of the market and harm the legitimate rights and interests of other business operators and consumers. So, what is an act of unfair competition?
Acts of unfair competition refer to the conduct of business operators that violate the provisions of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, harm the lawful rights and interests of other business operators, and disrupt the social and economic order. These behaviors usually include, but are not limited to: confusion, false publicity, commercial bribery, infringement of trade secrets, dumping at low prices, improper prize sales, etc.
Confusion refers to the use of counterfeiting, counterfeiting, or other false means by business operators to mislead consumers. For example, counterfeit brand products are sold in the market mixed with genuine products, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between authenticity and fakeness.
False publicity refers to false or misleading commercial publicity carried out by business operators in various aspects such as the performance, function, quality, sales status, user evaluation, and honors won by their goods, so as to deceive and mislead consumers. For example, some businesses use exaggeration or false claims to attract consumers and increase sales.
Commercial bribery refers to the act of providing property or other benefits to relevant persons in order to obtain transaction opportunities or other commercial benefits. This kind of behavior not only violates the principle of fair competition, but also harms the legitimate rights and interests of other business operators.
Trade secret infringement refers to the act of obtaining the trade secrets of others by improper means such as theft, bribery, fraud, and coercion. In addition, unauthorized disclosure or use of trade secrets is also one of the acts of trade secret infringement.
Low-price dumping refers to the sale of goods below cost by operators for the purpose of squeezing out competitors. This kind of behavior will seriously disrupt the market order and cause unfair competitive pressure on other business operators.
Improper prize sales refer to the act of business operators promoting goods or services by providing prizes, bonuses, or other incentives. If the amount of the prize or prize is too high or the sales conditions are not reasonable, it may constitute an unfair prize sale.
In addition to the acts of unfair competition listed above, there are many other forms of acts of unfair competition. These behaviors not only harm the legitimate rights and interests of other business operators, but also undermine the order of fair competition in the market. Therefore, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law regulates acts of unfair competition in order to maintain fair competition and healthy development of the market economy.
In order to maintain fair competition and healthy development of the market economy, the relevant departments should strengthen the supervision and crackdown on unfair competition. At the same time, consumers should also be vigilant to understand the characteristics and manifestations of unfair competition to avoid being deceived and harmed. Only through the joint efforts of the whole society can we create a fair, honest and orderly market environment.