passing off

Passing off is a legal wrongful act where one business or individual tries to deceive consumers into believing their product or service is actually associated with or endorsed by another, well-known brand. This typically involves using similar branding, packaging, or trademarks to create confusion and unfairly benefit from the reputation of the established brand. The goal of passing off is to prevent businesses from misleading customers and to protect the original brand's goodwill, ensuring consumers can reliably identify the origin and quality of products or services they purchase.