Can I publish customer reviews of my competitors on my own website?
April 20, 2023 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Sophia Breitwieser
Dear lawyer,
My name is Wanda Kroll and I run an online shop for sportswear. Lately, I have noticed that my competitors are posting very good customer reviews on their websites to attract potential customers. Now I am wondering if it is legally allowed to publish these customer reviews of my competitors on my own website.
Currently, I lack customer feedback and I believe that positive reviews from other companies could help boost my business. However, I am concerned that this may violate competition law or potentially have legal consequences.
Could you please tell me if it is legal to publish customer reviews of my competitors on my website? Are there any specific regulations or guidelines that I need to follow? And what alternatives are there to strengthen my business without breaking the law?
I thank you in advance for your help and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Wanda Kroll
Dear Mrs. Kroll,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the use of customer reviews from your competitors on your own website. This is indeed an important issue in the field of competition law, as it concerns fairness and transparency in competition.
In general, it is not prohibited to publish customer reviews from other companies on your website, as long as they are authentic and do not contain false or misleading information. However, there are some important aspects that you need to consider in order to avoid legal issues.
First and foremost, you should ensure that the customer reviews actually come from real customers and have not been falsified or manipulated. It is important to respect the copyrights of the reviews and not use third-party content without permission. Additionally, you should not distort or manipulate the reviews to portray your company in a better light.
Furthermore, it is advisable to be transparent and clearly indicate that the reviews are from other companies. This is to ensure clarity and avoid confusion or false assumptions among consumers. Also, be careful not to engage in misleading advertising or portray your competitors in a negative light.
There are also alternative ways to strengthen your company without resorting to using customer reviews from your competitors. For example, you could collect your own customer reviews and publish them on your website to build trust with potential customers. You could also use targeted marketing measures such as discount promotions, special offers, or collaborations with influencers to increase your visibility and attract new customers.
Overall, it is important to always act fairly and transparently in the field of competition law to avoid legal consequences. If you are unsure whether using customer reviews from your competitors is legal, I recommend seeking advice from a specialized lawyer who can provide you with individual guidance.
I hope that this information has been helpful to you and I am available to answer any further questions you may have.
Best regards,
Sophia Breitwieser
