Especially in the field of online commerce, competition law warnings have become part of everyday life. For example, in 2013, 60% of all online retailers received a warning, with the trend on the rise. It has been shown in practice since 1960 that warnings in cases of competition law violations are generally sensible and allow for a quick and out-of-court resolution of disputes for all parties involved. However, in recent years, there has been an increasing tendency where the focus is not primarily on the fundamental competition law claim (the cease-and-desist claim), but rather on advancing one's own business interests. Even large corporations use the instrument of warnings to secure their own market positions. Possible causes and reasons for this are the subject of the following discussion and will be explained by the author after a theoretical introduction to competition law, using practical examples.