What types of activities can constitute unfair competition?

In Washington, there are various activities that could be considered unfair competition. These activities are illegal and can be prosecuted by the state. The first type of activity is deceptive trade practices. This includes false advertising or misrepresenting a product or service to benefit from it. It can also include passing off a product as another, or misleading customers about the quality of another product or service. Another type of activity is trademark infringement. This involves using or misusing another company’s name, logo, or slogan in an effort to gain profit or an advantage over that company. A third type of activity is anticompetitive conduct. This includes monopolizing a market or preventing new competitors from entering the market. It can also include setting prices at a level to squeeze out competition or forming illegal cartels to limit competition. Finally, theft of trade secrets is another form of unfair competition. This could involve stealing another company’s proprietary information, such as its manufacturing process or customer list, to gain an economic advantage. In sum, Washington’s Unfair Competition Law prohibits any deceptive trade practices, trademark infringement, anticompetitive conduct, and theft of trade secrets.

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