Germany's UWG § 4: disparaging and defaming competitors
Germany's Unfair Competition Act bans disparaging competitors and spreading unprovable facts about them that could damage their business.
Two cases
- Disparagement: belittling a competitor's marks, goods, activities or personal circumstances
- Defamation of a business: asserting or spreading unprovable facts capable of damaging the business
Remedies
Injunction, removal and damages, usually through a lawyer's warning letter and preliminary injunction.
Turkish equivalent
Turkish Commercial Code Article 55.
General information, not legal advice. In real cases we work alongside lawyers who specialise in digital rights.
Frequently asked questions
Does UWG apply if the attacker is not a competitor?
It requires competition; otherwise general personality and business protection applies.