Violataion of a company’s good name on the Internet

Violation of a company’s good name on the Internet, also often referred to as “black PR” or “dark PR,” is usually a series of coordinated actions aimed at damaging or even destroying the reputation of an entrepreneur, creating a negative image of the company or the products it offers, or shaping negative attitudes toward the company among consumers.

The initiators of such actions are usually competitors, whose intention is to make their brand or product look better in comparison with that of the competitor against whom the “black PR” actions are directed. In many cases, the violation of a company’s good name on the Internet is not part of fair competitive play, but is negatively characterized, presents untruths and often even has the character of slander. The effects of such actions may be felt by entrepreneurs for many years, and the consequences of some actions may not be straightforward to reverse.

However, entrepreneurs operating on the Internet against whom such actions are directed, aimed at violating their good name, are not defenseless. Polish law provides a number of solutions that, in many cases, can become effective tools for legal protection of an entrepreneur’s good name, and make it possible to find and draw legal consequences against those who violate a company’s good name on the Internet.

In this article, we have attempted to give a practical answer to the question of what legal possibilities exist in practice, both under civil law and criminal law, to counteract the practice of violating the good name of an entrepreneur on the Internet.

If you have any questions or need information regarding this article or services provided by us, please feel free to contact us at: kancelaria@capitallegal.pl

Mateusz Radomyski

Adwokat przy Okręgowej Radzie Adwokackiej w Warszawie. Absolwent studiów prawniczych LLB na Coventry University w Wielkiej Brytanii (dyplom z wyróżnieniem) oraz studiów LL.M. w obszarze międzynarodowego prawa gospodarczego na Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam w Holandii (dyplom cum laude). Ponadto absolwent studiów podyplomowych w zakresie prawa konkurencji na Instytucie Nauk Prawnych Polskiej Akademii Nauk. Czytaj więcej ...