As a business owner, your good reputation is an extremely important asset. A company with a good reputation earned by providing quality goods or services will likely always have an abundance of enthusiastic customers.
On the other hand, if the word should get out that a company is in some way flawed, its ability to get and retain a solid client base could be seriously damaged. Therefore, if you are a business owner and your business is unfairly characterized in print, it is vital that you find an effective means of response to undo any damage.
Trade libel occurs when a company’s ability to provide quality services or products is defamed. If you believe your business has been victimized by trade libel and you are considering filing a lawsuit against the offending party, there are three things you must be able to demonstrate in order for your case to be successful.
First, you must be able to show that the defendant made an untrue statement about your services or products. Second, the statement must have been published. And finally, you must demonstrate that the statement caused you to suffer an economic loss or some other form of hardship.
It is important to understand that proving all three of these elements is not always easy. For example, if someone writes a negative review of your business online, it will likely not be considered trade libel. This is because to meet the criteria of trade libel, false statements must be represented as being facts and reviews are by their nature opinions.
If you are struggling with the damage caused by published false statements regarding your business, you may want to contact a Florida business litigation attorney. The attorney could carefully assess the situation to determine if it meets the standards of trade libel. If so, the attorney could help you take corrective legal steps against the offending party.
