Archive for the 'Marketing' Category
Featured Update
Practical Law Canada Competition
July 18, 2016
This Featured Update discusses the recent Online Reviews and Endorsements Guidelines issued by the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN). It includes a summary of key principles and guidelines for review administrators, traders and marketing professionals, and digital influencers. It also highlights how these new Guidelines reflect the Canadian Competition Bureau’s approach to online reviews and endorsements, as well as other major consumer protection agencies.
Do you need contest rules/precedents
for a Canadian contest?
We offer many types of Canadian contest/sweepstakes law precedents and forms (i.e., Canadian contest/sweepstakes law precedents to run common types of contests in Canada). These include precedents for random draw contests (i.e., where winners are chosen by random draw), skill contests (e.g., essay, photo or other types of contests where entrants submit content that is judged to enter the contest or for additional entries), trip contests and more. Also available are individual Canadian contest/sweepstakes precedents, including short rules (“mini-rules”), long rules, winner releases and a Canadian contest law checklist. For more information or to order, see: Canadian Contest Law Forms/Precedents. If you would like to discuss legal advice in relation to your contest or other promotion, contact us: Contact.
********************
Promotional contests in Canada are largely governed by the federal Competition Act, Criminal Code and contract law. Other laws can also apply depending on the type of contest, including privacy, anti-spam and intellectual property law.
In addition, one of the areas of law that has affected contests the most over the past several years is CASL – Canada’s federal anti-spam legislation. For more information about CASL, see: CASL (Canadian Anti-spam Law), CASL Compliance, CASL FAQs, CASL Compliance Errors and CASL Precedents and Checklists.
July 16, 2016
Guest post by John Simpson
Online threats to commercial reputations are on the rise. These include “attack sites”, “gripe sites” (e.g., RipOff Report), cyber-libel via social media, domain name high-jacking, meta tag high-jacking and defamatory email campaigns. Online brand and reputation attacks are easy and inexpensive to wage and they can be devastatingly effective.
Guest post by Nick Hollinger
tbk Creative
July 15, 2016
It’s common knowledge that any organization can – and should – set up free social media accounts to start organically reaching individuals without spending a dime. So, that’s all businesses can do with social media, right? Wrong.
May 27, 2016
Earlier today, the Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced two final settlements in its four-year year litigation against Canada’s major telecoms and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA). See: Bell customers to receive up to $11.82 million as part of Competition Bureau agreement.
June 12, 2015
Major enforcement agencies, notably in the United States (U.S. FTC) and Canada (Competition Bureau), have been increasingly focusing on misleading online testimonials and disclaimers. In this respect, earlier this week Canada’s Competition Bureau launched a new advertising law publication with the first issue focusing on digital marketing issues (see: here).
June 11, 2015
The Canadian Competition Bureau has been increasing its advocacy, outreach and compliance efforts since the (relatively) new Commissioner of Competition (John Pecman) took office.
November 25, 2014
Misleading advertising is squarely part of Canadian competition law. Violation of the Competition Act’s civil or criminal misleading advertising provisions can also lead to significant liability for companies or individuals. As a recent reminder of this, the Competition Bureau has announced that water heater supplier National Home Services (National) has agreed to pay a $7 million penalty for alleged false or misleading claims made by its sales agents.