The right to compete as a subject of acts of unfair competition

Introduction: This paper is devoted to the study of the right to compete as the basis of competition law and a subject of acts of unfair competition. Purpose: to define the right to compete as a subject of acts of unfair competition. Methods: the dialectical method underlies the methodological framework of the work. The author also uses general scientific methods (formal-logical, systemic-structural and structural-functional) and methods specific to legal science (method of legal modelling, method of systemic interpretation). Results: Competition is one of the forms of implementation of entrepreneurial activity, therefore, the right to compete is inherent in the entities only engaged in business, but not any other types of economic activity. This right is of constitutional nature; at the same time, it is also present as an ordinary right within different branches of legal regulation. The right to compete is a measure of possible behaviour of economic agents while acting independently within entrepreneurial activity and effectively limiting the possibilities of other entities’ influence on general conditions of commodity circulation within the same system.In particular, the construct of unfair competition sets limits for the right to compete. At the same time, within the system of legal facts of civil law, acts of unfair competitions are represented as illegal actions (offences), which may have either the form of an entity’s abuse of its right or the form of some other offences, in particular counterfeit actions. Conclusions: The subject of acts of unfair competition is the right to compete, which allows competitors to freely conduct economic activity, including when using the rights to particular objects.