unfair competition

[/ʌnˈfɛr kəmˈpɛtɪʃən/]
nounpl: unfair competitions
concorrência desleal
1. Business practices that violate laws or ethical standards, giving one company an unfair advantage over competitors
The company was accused of unfair competition for using false advertising to discredit rivals.
A empresa foi acusada de concorrência desleal por usar publicidade falsa para desacreditar rivais.
2. Illegal or unethical commercial conduct that breaches competition laws or market regulations
Price fixing among suppliers is considered unfair competition.
A fixação de preços entre fornecedores é considerada concorrência desleal.
3. Actions that manipulate market conditions rather than competing on merit and quality
Stealing trade secrets constitutes unfair competition.
Roubar segredos comerciais constitui concorrência desleal.
In both Brazil and the USA, unfair competition is heavily regulated by government agencies (CADE in Brazil, FTC in the USA). It's a serious legal matter with significant penalties. Brazilian business culture emphasizes 'jogo limpo' (clean play), while American business often references 'level playing field.' Both cultures view unfair competition as damaging to market integrity and consumer protection.
NYC Slang
dirty dealing, playing dirty, cutting corners
Synonyms / Sinônimos
unfair business practicesanticompetitive behaviordishonest competitionpredatory competitionunethical trading
Antonyms / Antônimos
fair competitionhonest competitionethical business practicelevel playing field

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
concorrência desleal
Standard legal and business terminology used throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
concorrência desleal / prática comercial desonesta
Same as general Brazilian; both terms widely understood
São Paulo
concorrência desleal
Primary term used in business and legal contexts; very formal in corporate settings
Portugal
concorrência desleal
Identical to Brazilian Portuguese; formal legal term in Portuguese commercial law

Related Words

antitrustmonopolytrade secretsintellectual propertyconsumer protectionmarket manipulationtortious interference

Related Idioms & Phrases

playing by the rules vs. breaking the rules
level playing field
stealing someone's thunder
undercutting the competition
dirty tricks
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