Competition between trade rivals in a marketplace operating within a common law-based legal system is regulated primarily by two fairly distinct branches of the law: the prohibitions against anti-competitive conduct imposed by the competition law framework, and the common law restraints against acts of “unfair competition” that attract liability under the economic torts. This dissertation aims to critically examine both these legal frameworks and provide an integrated account of how these branches of the law distinguish between lawful and unlawful modes of competitive conduct. By scrutinising the doctrinal and policy foundations that underlie each of these legal frameworks, common thematic strands that may not be immediately apparent to lawyers working exclusively in either field will be exposed, while fundamental differences between their respective inner workings will also be uncovered in the process. Engaging in such a comparative exercise will facilitate a deeper understanding of the contrasting objectives and jurisprudential approaches associated with each legal framework which, in turn, sheds some light on the nature of their relationship with each other and the extent to which legal developments in one field ought to influence, or be influenced by, the other. Besides evaluating how and why the common law economic torts operate differently from the competition law prohibitions in circumscribing the liberty of individual competitors to inflict economic harm upon their trade rivals, this dissertation will also analyse selected types of commercial conduct which are regarded as lawful under one framework but unlawful by the other, and contrast them with scenarios which could attract overlapping legal liability under both legal frameworks. In addition, this dissertation will explore a selection of legal issues arising from the doctrinal interaction between these areas of the law that may confront the courts as these two legal frameworks continue to develop in tandem with each other.

L’insertion du contrat dans la vie sociale a mis en lumière des conflits d’intérêts entre d’une part les parties contractantes, qui souhaitent que leurs prévisions contractuelles se réalisent et d’autre part, les tiers, qui ne veulent pas voir leur liberté limitée par un contrat auquel ils n’ont pas consenti. La théorie de l’opposabilité, assurant une fonction préférentielle, tranche le conflit d’intérêts antagonistes en réservant aux parties contractantes une exclusivité, la connaissance étant alors le critère d’attribution de cette situation préférentielle. Dès lors tout tiers qui avec connaissance incite ou aide un débiteur à violer son obligation contractuelle engage sa responsabilité à l’égard du créancier de cette obligation. Dans un contexte concurrentiel, l’opposabilité du contrat (ou du droit subjectif) va aboutir à créer une zone d’exclusivité en faveur des parties (ou détenteurs de droits) et étouffer la liberté concurrentielle des tiers. Le droit va alors délimiter une zone d’activité pour chacun. Nos travaux de recherches visent à étudier le phénomène d’opposabilité, entendu comme l’effet d’un acte ou fait juridique sur les tiers, dans un contexte concurrentiel ; et le mécanisme de conciliation qu’est l’action en concurrence déloyale. Après l’étude des solutions existantes, nous tenterons de dégager un critère du comportement déloyal permettant une appréhension globale et contextuelle de l’effet de l’acte concurrentiel sur un marché, afin d’ajuster le degré d’opposabilité suffisant à la protection des uns et à la préservation de la liberté concurrentielle des autres. / Law rules relations between individuals. From an economic angle, it defines an activity range for each operator. Our research work aims at studying the french concept of “opposabilité” in a competitive background. The question is about analysing the effects of a contract or an exclusive right regarding third competitors; and the reconciliation proceeding that is the action on unfair competition. We will attempt to draw a criterion from unfair behaviour that enables a better analysis of the effect of competitive action on a market and therefore on this market's own operators, to adapt the “opposabilié” degree to allow protection of some and preservation of freedom for others.

Le contrat d'assurance est souvent donné comme un exemple du contrat d'adhésion. En fait, le contrat a été auparavant ; élaboré, rédigé, imprimé par l'assureur. Quant à l'assuré, il ne fait par la suite qu'adhérer à un contrat préétabli dont il n'a pas discuté les conditions. Il est donc nécessaire de protéger cet assuré contre les clauses abusives figurant dans son contrat. La protection contre les clauses abusives du contrat d'assurance provient de plusieurs sources. La source principale est le droit de la consommation et plus précisément l'article L. 132-1 du Code de la consommation. Cet article ne protège que l'assuré consommateur ou non professionnel. Quant aux autres sources, elles se trouvent dans le droit commun des contrats et les droits spéciaux applicables au contrat d'assurance. Si dans l'état actuel des textes, ces sources ne parlent pas d'une protection contre les clauses abusives stricto sensu, une proposition formulée en vue d'une réforme du droit des contrats, pourrait insérer une telle protection. Dans notre étude, nous analysons les différentes sources de la protection, en droit positif et droit prospectif, puis nous essayerons de proposer un texte qui garantira, à nos yeux, la meilleure protection de l'assuré contre les clauses abusives. / Insurance contract is often given as an example of adhesion contract. In fact, Insurance contract was before, developed, written, and printed by the insurer. As for the insured, he eventually got involved in a pre-arranged contract that he did not discuss its conditions. It is therefore necessary to protect the insured against any unfair terms in the insurance contract. The protection against these unfair terms could originate from several sources. The main source could be the Consumer Law and more specifically Article L. 132-1 of the Consumer Code. This article protects only the insured consumer. The other sources are mentioned in the common law of contracts and special laws applicable to the insurance contract. If in the current texts, these sources do not mention any protection against the unfair terms stricto sensu, a formulated as a reform to the Contract Law could demonstrate the protection. In this study, we analyzed the different sources of protection, and then we tried to propose a text that will guarantee, from our point of view, the best protection for the insured against unfair terms.

The selected unfair competition practice and protection against such practice The aim of the thesis is to analyze the phenomenon of misleading advertising and the possibilities of legal protection against that kind of unfair competition, within the comprehensiveness of Master's diploma thesis. I deal with the topic predominantly from the private law point of view. The aim of the thesis is, first, to summarize unfair competition and related terminology and, next, to outline its different aspects in detail and present related instruments of legal defence. The thesis consists of nine chapters. Each of them is concerned with different aspects of unfair competition. The Introduction describes the thesis topic, the structure of the thesis and its aim. Chapter One defines the term 'competition' and describes the law regulating the right to competition, its limits and normative basis. Chapter Two focuses on market competition and consists of two parts. The first one concentrates on legal definition of the term 'competition' and its general interpretation. The second one is addressed to competition law and its division. Chapter Three explains the term 'unfair competition' and presents a detailed survey of subjects in unfair competition. Following subchapters examines 'competitors', 'consumers', 'other...

This diploma thesis deals with trademark in competition. It analyses the position of the trademark owner from the point of view of rights provided by the legal system in connection with his trademark ownership. The aim of the thesis is to answer the question which rights are granted to the trademark owner by the trademark law, which rights are granted to him by the unfair competition law and to depict mutual correlation of those two legal branches from the mentioned point of view. In order to achieve these targets the thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter deals with the trademark owner rights, where it analyses the regulation of these rights in Czech legal system, i.e. provision of act -No. 441/2003 Sb. on trademarks, considering European directives on trademarks (No. 89/104 and 2008/95/ES). This is followed by the judicature of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic and of the Court of Justice of the European Union explaining these legal provisions. The provisions of Council Regulation on the Community trade mark (No. 207/2009) and Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property are also mentioned. For the purpose of further explanation the second chapter brings an analysis of the competitor's protection by the unfair competition law from the provisions relevant for...

- Development of the legal regulation of unfair competition in Czech Republic This thesis concerns the development of the legal regulation of unfair competition in the environment and territory of Czech Republic. Thesis at the beginning introduces with origin attempts of unfair competition at the Austria-Hungary monarchies times and historical formation at the European frame. Continue by formation of Czechoslovakia and description of the first complex legal ordinance focused on this part of law on our territory. At the next stages is described decline of unfair competition in times of central planned economy raised by communist party in 1948 and subsequent factual absent of unfair competition in our legal system. And finally arise and development of unfair competition after the velvet revolution which is the main topic of this work. The thesis is also focused on the general aspect of unfair competition as the law section with term and attribute which is often hard to define or describe and as a legal area in which more often play the biggest role kind of legal sense and specific circumstances then strictly defined rules. Thesis highlights the importance of general clause, in some part compare our legal development to German and other legal legislation way of other countries and their conceptual...

Legal development of unfair competition in Czech Republic This thesis concerns the development of unfair competition in the environment and territory of Czech Republic. Thesis at the beginning introduces with origin attempts of unfair competition at the Austria-Hungary monarchies times and historical formation at the European frame. Continue by formation of Czechoslovakia and description of the first complex legal ordinance focused on this part of law on our territory. At the next stages is described decline of unfair competition in times of central planned economy raised by communist party in 1948 and subsequent factual absent of unfair competition in our legal system. And finally arise and development of unfair competition after the velvet revolution which is the main topic of this work. The thesis is also focused on the general aspect of unfair competition as the law section with term and attribute which is often hard to define or describe and as a legal area in which more often play the biggest role kind of legal sense and specific circumstances then strictly defined rules. Thesis highlights the importance of general clause, in some part compare our legal development to German and other legal legislation way of other countries and their conceptual changes whether the wrong ones or opposite. The main aim...

The position of a weaker party in concluding contracts within business transactions The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the specificities of concluding contracts with a weaker party under the New Civil Code. The main focus is given on the issue of contract terms which are forbidden because they cause significant imbalance in the parties' rights and obligations arising under the contract, to the detriment of the weaker party. The thesis explains who can be a weaker party, what differences it brings up and what are the consequences of breach of those protectionist provisions of law. The thesis is composed of an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion. First chapter covers the background information and explains who can be in the position of a weaker party, according to which criteria courts should consider the weakness and when it reaches the level which is relevant for law. Second chapter deals with Section 433 of the new civil code and looks at protection of the weaker party on its basis. It addresses scope of that provision and consequences when a party breaches it. The last part of this chapter concentrates on nullity under the New Civil Code. Chapter three describes position of the weaker party in concluding adhesion contracts and specificities which rise from the fact that the...

Selected issues of unfair competition and legal protection against such conduct The purpose of my thesis is to analyse one of the most frequent unfair competition practice, the misleading advertising and the possibilities of legal protection against this practice. The thesis is composed of six chapters, each of them dealing with different aspects of unfair competition. The first chapter describes various attempts on the definition of the economic competition and explains the terms as economic aspect and benefit. The legal regulation of the economic competition includes direct and indirect regulation. Indirect regulation is based on exclusion of certain items or goods from the trading and on supervision of another category of items. Direct regulation is devided into antitrust law, that prevents elimination, restriction or another violation of economic competition, and into competition law, that prohibits the competitors from using unfair practices in the battle for customer. In the second chapter the unfair competition, its development and its subjects are covered. One of the most essential elements of an unfair competition, the "general clause" concept, is outlined in this chapter by characterization of its attributes and its relationship to special states of facts of an unfair competition. Certain...

Legal Penalties for Unfair Competition As the unfair competition has become the part of business due to the fact that businessmen are trying to achieve the profit, it is necessary to set up legal rules and restrictions to assure the fair competition, i.e. competition without unfairness and negative effect on functionality of the economic competition. The aim of the diploma thesis is to analyse legal penalties of unfair competition especially in Czech legal order by means of interpretation of affected legal provisions together with judicature of the Supreme Court and other courts. First part of the thesis concerns theoretical scope of legal concepts concerning the unfair competition. The second chapter deals with active and passive legitimacy of subjects according to the Commercial Code. Both chapters give the theoretical framework for the whole thesis. The core of the diploma thesis is the third and fourth part, whereas the third part concerns the means of protection against unfair competition which are divided into several groups according to the law in which they are regulated (private law, public law divided into administrative and penal law, European law) and focuses on private law with using rich judicature of Czech courts. The fourth part regards specific procedural institutes that are...