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complaint. 1. The initial pleading that starts a civil action and states the basis for the court’s jurisdiction, the basis for the plaintiff’s claim, and the demand for relief. • In some states, this pleading is called a petition. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure  671; Pleading  38.5. C.J.S. Pleading §§ 94–95.] 2.Criminal law. A formal charge…

complainantless crime.See victimless crime under CRIME. [Blacks Law 8th]

complainant (k<<schwa>>m-playn-<<schwa>>nt).1. The party who brings a legal complaint against another; esp., the plaintiff in a court of equity or, more modernly, a civil suit. “A suit in equity, under the procedure of the English Court of Chancery, which was generally adopted in the American States prior to the code, is instituted by the plaintiff filing a…

compiled statutes.1.COMPILATION(2).2.STATUTE. [Blacks Law 8th]

compilation (kom-p<<schwa>>-lay-sh<<schwa>>n), n.1.Copyright. A collection of literary works arranged in an original way; esp., a work formed by collecting and assembling preexisting materials or data that are selected, coordinated, or arranged in such a way that the resulting product constitutes an original work of authorship. • An author who creates a compilation owns the copyright…

competitive injury.A wrongful economic loss at the hands of a commercial rival, such as the loss of sales due to unfair competition; a disadvantage in a plaintiff’s ability to compete with a defendant, caused by the defendant’s unfair competition. • Most courts require the plaintiff to show a competitive injury as an element of a…

competitive civil-service examination.A test designed to evaluate a person’s qualifications for a civil-service position. • This type of examination may be open to all those seeking civil-service employment, or it may be restricted to those civil servants seeking a promotion. See CIVIL SERVICE. [Cases: Officers and Public Em-ployees  11.3. C.J.S. Officers and Public Employees §§…

competitive bid.See BID(2). [Blacks Law 8th]

competitive advertising.See ADVERTISING.[Blacks Law 8th]

competitive advantage.The potential benefit from information, ideas, or devices that, if kept secret by a business, might be economically exploited to improve the business’s market share or to increase its income. [Blacks Law 8th]