Unfair Competition Law in the Baltic States

Abstract

The legal institution of unfair competition law is protected and regulated in all three Baltic States by Art. 10bis of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and by a number of specific pieces of legislation. Unfair competition law in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is essentially characterised by the following features: Firstly, none of the three Baltic States have a comprehensive act against unfair competition; Secondly, the legal provisions that provide protection against unfair competition in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are regarded as part of the field of competition law (only with respect to regulation); Thirdly, there are also a number of specific provisions in individual pieces of legislation and in general civil law. The competition laws of the three Baltic States cover both the provisions concerning the competitive system and the rules against unfair competition.