WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
5 June 2009 
 (09-2700) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:   English/ 
 anglais/  inglés 
 
  
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS NOTIFIED UNDER 
ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
 
TONGA 
  The present document reproduces the text
1 of the Protection against Unfair Competition Act, 
as notified by the Kingdom of Tonga on 21 April 2009 under Article 63.2 of the Agreement (see 
document IP/N/1/TON/1).  __________________________________________________________________________________ 
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce  
 
  
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONSACRÉES À LA 
PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIÉES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
 
TONGA 
  Le présent document contient le texte
1 de la Loi sur la protection contre la concurrence 
déloyale, notifiée par le Royaume des Tonga le 21 avr il 2009 au titre de l'article 63:2 de l'Accord (voir 
le document IP/N/1/TON/1). 
 __________________________________________________________________________________ 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio  
 
  
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA 
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD 
DEL PÁRRAFO 2 DEL ARTÍCULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
 
TONGA 
  En el presente documento se reproduce el texto
1 de la Ley de Protección contra la 
Competencia Desleal, notificada por el Reino de To nga el 21 de abril de 2009 de conformidad con el 
párrafo 2 del artículo 63 del Acuer do (véase el documento IP/N/1/TON/1). 
                                                      
1 In English only./En anglais seulement./En inglés solamente. IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
Page 2  
 
  PROTECTION AGAINST UNFA IR COMPETITION ACT  
Arrangement of Sections 
Section 
1 Short title and Commencement................................................................................................... 3 
2 Act binds the Crown ............................................................................................................ .......3  
3 Interpretation................................................................................................................. ..............3  
4 General principles ............................................................................................................. ..........4  
5 Causing confusion with respect to another's enterprise ..............................................................4  
6 Damaging another's goodwill or reputation................................................................................4  
7 Misleading the public.......................................................................................................... ........5  
8 Discrediting another's enterprise.............................................................................................. ...5 
9 Unfair competition in respect  of secret information ...................................................................6  
  IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
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PROTECTION AGAINST UNFA IR COMPETITION ACT  
AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FO R PROTECTION AGAINST UNFAIR 
COMPETITION AND FOR OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED  
THEREWITH OR INCIDENTAL THERETOi 
 Commencement []ii 
1 Short title and Commencement 
 
(1) This Act may be cited as the Protection Against Unfair Competition Act.  
(2) This Act shall come into operation on a date  to be proclaimed by His Majesty in Council. 
  
2 Act binds the Crown 
 
This Act binds the Crown.  
 
3 Interpretation 
 
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —  
“appearance of a product ” includes the packaging, shape, colour or other non-
functional characteristic features of the product in question;  
“business identifier other than a trademark or a trade name ” includes business 
symbols, emblems, logos and slogans used by an enterprise to convey in the course of industrial or commercial activities, a certain identity with respect to the enterprise and 
the products produced or the services rendered by that enterprise; 
 “court ” means the Supreme Court of Tonga; 
 
“dilution of goodwill or reputation ” means the lessening of the distinctive character or 
advertising value of a trademark, trade name or other business identifier, the appearance 
of a product or the presentation of products  or services or of a celebrity or well-known 
fictional character; 
 
“enterprise ” includes any business venture, undertaking, project or initiative undertaken 
by any person or body corporate;  
 
“industrial or commercial activities ” means activities of enterprises providing products 
or services, and buying and selling products or services including the activities of 
professionals and other such persons; 
 “practice ” includes behaviour that consists of an omission to act; 
 IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
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  “presentation of products or services ” includes advertising; 
 “trade mark ” means marks relating to goods, mark s relating to services and marks 
relating to both goods and servi ces whether registered or not. 
  
4 General principles 
 
(1) In addition to the acts and pr actices referred to in sections 5 to 9, any act or practice in 
the course of industrial or commercial activiti es that is contrary to honest commercial 
practices shall constitute an act of unfair competition. 
 
(2) Any person damaged or likely to be damage d by an act of unfair competition within the 
meaning of this Act shall be entitled to the remedies obtainable under the law of Tonga. 
 
(3) This section and sections 5 to 9 shall appl y independently of a nd in addition to, any 
legislative provisions protecting inventions, industrial designs, trademarks, literary and 
artistic works and other intellectual property subject matter. 
  
5 Causing confusion with respect to another's enterprise 
 
(1) Any act or practice, in the course of indust rial or commercial activities that causes, or is 
likely to cause confusion with respect to a nother's enterprise including the products or 
services offered by such enterprise, shall constitute an act of unfair competition. 
 
(2) Confusion may be caused, inter alia , with respect to any of the following: 
 
(a) a trademark, whether registered or not;  
(b) a trade name; 
 (c) a business identifier other than a trademark or trade name;  (d) the appearance of a product; 
 
(e) the presentation of products or services; or  (f) a celebrity or a well-known fictional character.   
6 Damaging another's goodwill or reputation 
 
(1) Any act or practice, in the course of industri al or commercial activities, that damages, or 
is likely to damage, the goodwill or reputation of another's enterprise shall constitute an 
act of unfair competition, regardless of whet her such act or practice causes confusion. 
  IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
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  (2) Damaging another's goodwill or reputation may result, inter alia , from the dilution of the 
goodwill or reputation attached to any of the following — 
 
(a) a trademark, whether registered or not; 
 (b) a trade name;  
(c) a business identifier other than a trademark or trade name; 
 (d) the appearance of a product;  (e) the presentation of products or services; or  
(f) a celebrity or a well-known fictional character. 
  
7 Misleading the public 
 
(1) Any act or practice, in the course of indust rial or commercial activities that misleads, or 
is likely to mislead, the public with respect to  an enterprise or its activities, including the 
products or services offered by such ente rprise, shall constitute an act of unfair 
competition. 
 (2) An act or practice is likely to mislead if it involves the advertising or promotion, inter 
alia, of any of the following: 
 
(a) the manufacturing process of a product; 
 (b) the suitability of a product or service for a particular purpose;  (c) the quality or quantity or other characteristics of products or services;  
(d) the geographical origin of products or services; 
 (e) the conditions on which products or services are offered or provided; or  (f) the price of products or services or the manner in which they are calculated. 
 
 
8 Discrediting another's enterprise 
 
(1) Any false or unjustifiable allegation in th e course of industrial or commercial activities 
that discredits, or is likely to discredit, another's enterprise including the products or 
services offered by such enterprise, shall constitute an act of unfair competition. 
 
(2) A false or unjustifiable allegation is likel y to discredit an enterprise if it involves the 
advertising or promotion, inter alia , of any of the following – 
 
(a) the manufacturing process of a product;  (b) the suitability of a product or service for a particular purpose;  IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
Page 6  
 
  (c) the quality or quantity or other characteristics of products or services; 
 (d) the geographical origin of products or services;  (e) the conditions on which products or services are offered or provided; 
 
(f) the price of products or services or the manner in which it is calculated.   
9 Unfair competition in respect of secret information 
 
(1) Any act or practice, in the course of industri al or commercial activities, that results in the 
disclosure, acquisition or use of secret in formation without the consent of the person 
lawfully in control of that information (her einafter referred to as “the rightful holder”) 
and in a manner contrary to honest commerc ial practices shall constitute an act of unfair 
competition. 
 
(2) Disclosure, acquisition or use of secret in formation by others without the consent of the 
rightful holder may, inter alia , result from — 
 
(a) industrial or commercial espionage;  (b) breach of contract; 
 
(c) breach of confidence;  (d) inducement to commit any of the acts re ferred to in paragraphs (a) to (c); 
 
(e) acquisition of secret information by a third party who knew, or was grossly 
negligent in failing to know, that an act referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d) was 
involved in the acquisition. 
 
(3) For the purposes of this section, information shall be considered secret information if — 
 
(a) it is not, as a body or in the precise co nfiguration and assembly of its components, 
generally known among or readily accessible to persons within the circles that normally deal with the kind of information in question; 
 
(b) it has commercial value because it is secret; and  (c) the rightful holder has taken reasonable steps to keep it secret. 
 
(4) Any act or practice in the course of industria l or commercial activities shall be deemed to 
be an act of unfair competition if it consists or results in the unfair commercial use or 
disclosure of secret tests or other data relating to pharmaceutical or agricultural chemical 
products utilising new chemical substan ces and which have been submitted to a 
competent authority for marketing approval. 
  IP/N/1/TON/O/1 
 Page 7 
 
 
  Provided that disclosure shall be authorised — 
 (a) where necessary to protect the public; or 
 
(b) where steps are taken to ensure that  the data are protected against unfair 
commercial use. 
 
(5) Subsection (4) shall not preclude a person other than the person who submitted the secret 
test or other data from relying on such test data in support of an application for product 
approval, after the expiration of a reasonabl e period of time from the date of submission 
of these tests or data for marketing approval. 
 
(6) The period of time under subsection (5) sh all be determined by the court, upon 
application, taking into account the nature of the tests or data and the effort and 
expenditure involved but shall not, except in exceptional circumstan ces, be less than 
5 years. 
 
 
__________ 
 
 
                                                     
 
ENDNOTES 
i Act 19 of 2002 
ii Not in force as at the date of preparation of this revised edition