Business defamation—also known as business disparagement, business and commercial disparagement, or trade libel—is a claim or cause of action for damages that may be made by a business when another person or entity has defamed the business—usually by making untrue statements of fact, whether spoken (slander) or written (libel), that damage the business.

Business defamation laws vary from state to state but the elements of a business defamation claim are generally:

• the defendant published false and disparaging information about the plaintiff;

• the defendant published the words with malice;

• the defendant published the words without privilege; and

• the publication caused special damages.

Special damages are economic damages, such as lost income.

And if the plaintiff proves the defendant published false, disparaging information, and caused the plaintiff to suffer actual damages, the plaintiff is also entitled to recover exemplary damages from the defendant.

Business defamation laws may be located in a state’s statutes or in its court opinions (common law or case law).

In Virginia, business defamation, also known as trade libel or business disparagement, is a legal claim that a business can make if another party has made false statements that harm the business's reputation or financial standing. The elements of a business defamation claim in Virginia typically include the publication of false and disparaging information about the business, publication with malice, lack of privilege in making the statement, and the occurrence of special damages, which refer to economic losses such as a decrease in sales or lost profits. Virginia law requires that the plaintiff prove actual damages to succeed in a business defamation claim. If the plaintiff can demonstrate that the defendant acted with malice and published false information that caused economic harm, the business may also be entitled to recover punitive damages, which are designed to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct in the future. These laws are derived from both Virginia's statutes and common law precedents established through court opinions.