Understanding Trade Defamation

Unfortunately, many predatory companies practice unfair competition to try to reduce a competitor’s profit margins or reputation. These bad faith practices severely limit what the market can accomplish by creating distrust and spite among competitors. One of the more common forms of unfair competition is that of trade defamation. Trade defamation is defined as the intentional false communication that harms or reduces a business or person’s reputation. At Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., our attorneys know that a company is only as valuable as its reputation, and when companies target competitors’ reputations with lies, they must be forced to stop.

Common Forms of Trade Defamation

Trade defamation, similar to false advertising, is built on lies that are designed to mislead the public with inaccurate representations of a company or its product. It primarily occurs in two different forms, libel or slander. Trade libel constitutes misrepresentations of a company or person in the written form such as newspaper articles or books. Trade slander occurs with derogatory oral communications meant to harm the victim. These forms of trade defamation can be direct attacks on a company’s product or have more subtle outlets such as slow leaks of misinformation.

Proving that trade defamation occurred can be very difficult as every person or entity has their first amendment right of free speech. The communication must be proven to have actual malice and the statement must also be proven to be inherently false. Trade defamation occurs more frequently than most may believe, as it may take many different forms so that a person may not even know that they are being deceived.

Contact a Dallas Intellectual Property Attorney

If you or someone you know has been the victim of trade defamation, know that you have many legal options to bring this unwarranted deception to a halt. At Gagnon, Peacock & Vereeke, P.C., our Dallas trade defamation attorneys are dedicated to protecting the intellectual property rights of our clients so that their business will not suffer from unfair trade practices. Contact our office at (214) 824-1414 today to learn more about how we can assist you and your business.