Lost Profits Inadequate to Sustain Claim Over Online Rating

Allegations of lost profits and business harm couldn’t sustain a claim that a website deceptively ranked nutrition supplement brands to induce consumers to buy its own, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled Feb. 25 (BPI Sports, LLC v. LabDoor, S.D. Fla., 0:15-cv-62212-BB, 2/25/16).

The plaintiff failed to allege actual damages arising from the website’s rating system, such as a loss in market value of its product, Judge Beth Bloom said.

To prevail under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, Fla. Stat. § 501.201, a plaintiff must show a deceptive act ...