Historically, the torts of inducement to breach a contract (the 'inducement tort'), unlawful interference with economic interests (the 'unlawful interference tort') and civil conspiracy have been difficult to plead. This difficulty reflects the courts' struggle  to clearly identify when the intentional interference with economic interests should be actionable. This struggle is, at least in part, attributable to the challenge of striking a proper balance between competition in a free market and unfair or improper market practices. 

The relationship between the parties involved in an action for interference with economic interests is complicated by that fact that all three torts must involve at lease three parties. Under the inducement tort, the plaintiff and a third party to the contract, interferes.