Economic Torts

Abstract

Business tort laws involve unfair trade practices that result in an intentional and improper interferences with the business interest of another. The economic torts are divided into two broad categories: General Economic Torts, which include conspiracy, inducing breach of contract, intimidation and unlawful interference with trade, and Misrepresentation Economic Tort, which comprises of deceit, malicious falsehood and passing off. Trademark infringement is also taken to be a business tort. The jurisprudence of the economic torts has been derived from the common law and there is an overlap between the various categories of economic torts, which has been explored in the paper. The element of intention shall also be explored in this paper. Contrary to the general stance of the tort law with respect to intention, the economic tort laws hold intention at an important stature and that has been shown in this paper. The relevant case laws have been considered to provide the current stance with respect to each economic tort.