| In California, Business & Professions Code, section 17200, defines unfair competition to mean and include any unlawful, unfair or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue or misleading advertising. The "act or practice" aspect of the statutory definition of unfair competition covers any single act of misconduct, as well as ongoing misconduct. Virtually any law can serve as the predicate for an unfair competition action. This includes violations of law, whether civil, criminal, federal, state, or municipal, statutory, regulatory, or court-made. It is not necessary that the predicate law provide for private civil enforcement. |