Competition and Antitrust Law
Business-life in Germany is based on the principle of competition. Still, the competitive market environment needs to be protected against unfair practices.To control unfair market behaviour is within the responsibility of the Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) in Bonn. The legal basis of its work, the Act against Restraints of Competition, and other information on the work of the office is available online.
Fair competition is also safeguarded by the Act Against Unfair Competition (Gesetz gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb, UWG). It prohibits explicitly misleading advertising and governs comparative advertising as well as direct marketing activities.It provides the basis for legal claims against unfair behaviour of competitors. An introduction to the Act is available from the "German Law Archive", which has its origins in the University of Oxford.
print view
