Legal Resources

​Do I Have a Lanham Act Claim Against My Competitor for False Advertising?

August 25, 2019

If your competitor’s advertising is false or misleading, you are not helpless. You might have a federal claim under Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act. Although the Lanham Act is often known as a trademark statute, it also protects businesses against the unfair competition of misleading advertising or labeling.

A plaintiff that prevails on a Lanham Act claim can obtain an injunction against the false or misleading advertising, as well as damages and, in certain cases, attorneys’ fees. Importantly, consumers do not have standing under the Lanham Act, only competitors.

If you would like to speak with someone at Bona Law about false or misleading advertising and the Lanham Act, you can contact us here.

The Supreme Court in POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca Cola, explained why the Lanham Act utilizes competitors as its enforcement mechanism: “Competitors who manufacturer or distribute products have detailed knowledge regarding how consumers rely upon certain sales and marketing strategies. Their awareness of unfair competition practices may be far more immediate and accurate than that of agency rulemakers and regulators.” Thus, the “Lanham Act draws upon this market expertise by empowering private parties to sue competitors to protect their interests on a case-by-case basis.”

• You can read more about the US Supreme Court's decision in POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca Cola at The Antitrust Attorney Blog.
• You can read our article about the California federal jury trial decision in POM Wonderful here.
• You might also enjoy our article on the elements to a Trademark claim under the Lanham Act.

The Lanham Act Language

The false-advertising section of the Lanham Act (commonly known as Section 43(a)) provides as follows:

Any person who, on or in connection with any goods or services, or any container for goods, uses in commerce any word, term, name, symbol, or device, or any combination thereof, or any false designation of origin, false or misleading description of fact, or false or misleading representation of fact, which—

1. is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person, or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of his or her goods, services, or commercial activities by another person, or
2. in commercial advertising or promotion, misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities, or geographic origin of his or her or another person’s goods, services, or commercial activities,

shall be liable in a civil action by any person who believes that he or she is or is likely to be damaged by such act.

41 U.S.C. § 1125(a)(1).

The Lanham Act Elements

To prevail on a false-advertising claim under the Lanham Act, a plaintiff must satisfy the following elements: (1) a false or misleading statement of fact; that is (2) used in a commercial advertisement or promotion; that (3) deceives or is likely to deceive in a material way; (4) in interstate commerce; and (5) has caused or is likely to cause competitive or commercial injury to the plaintiff.

False or Misleading Statement of Fact

Two types of advertising claims are actionable under the Lanham Act: (1) statements that are literally false; and (2) statements that are literally true, but likely to mislead, confuse, or deceive.

Specific claims of false objective facts are, of course, the easiest to prove. Statements of opinion or general claims of superiority—often called puffery—are not typically actionable under the Lanham Act. But a plaintiff might recover on a superiority claim if, for example, the challenged advertisement makes a direct comparison to a competitor’s product.

A plaintiff can recover under the Lanham Act for misleading statements that are literally true, but must show that the advertisement has deceived or has a tendency to deceive.

Commercial Advertising or Promotion

The definition of commercial advertising or promotion under the Lanham Act is relatively broad and, in addition to obvious advertisements, can include internet advertising, labels, and even some sales presentations to groups of customers or potential customers. This element is typically a factually specific inquiry. This is often an area of major battle between the parties.

Deceives or is Likely to Deceive in a Material Way

A court will presume that a literally false advertisement deceives in a material way. Plaintiffs asserting a Lanham Act claim for misleading but true statements face a higher burden: They must typically show extrinsic evidence—like a survey, for example—that demonstrates the misleading effect of the advertisement. Finally, some courts have held that a plaintiff need not show extrinsic evidence of materiality where defendant’s Lanham Act violation is willful or in bad faith.

Interstate Commerce

As is true for federal antitrust claims, a plaintiff doing business in the United States will usually satisfy the Lanham Act’s interstate commerce element quite easily.

Competitive or Commercial Injury

To obtain injunctive relief, a plaintiff need only show threatened injury; actual injury isn’t required. But to recover damages under the Lanham Act, a plaintiff must show actual injury from the challenged advertisement.

Bona Law PC is a boutique law firm that helps businesses solve their dispute-related problems. The firm primarily focuses on business litigation, antitrust, and appellate litigation. The law firm is particularly adept at handling disputes with competitors, under both state and federal law. You can contact us at +1 858-964-4589 in California and +1 212-634-6861 in New York. You can email us at info@bonalawpc.com