Category Archives: Competition Law

February 10, 2012

Recent Misleading Advertising Penalties and Developments – Is Your Compliance Team Up-to-date?

The Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) and other Canadian regulatory authorities have markedly increased their enforcement of misleading advertising in the past several years.  The following is a brief summary of some of the penalties imposed (or agreed to pursuant to settlement agreements) in Canadian advertising … Read the rest of this entry »

February 9, 2012

New Articles: “Non-Comparative versus Comparative Advertising of Quality”

Claude Fluet (University of Quebec) and Winand Emons (Bern University) have written a paper on comparative advertising entitled: “Non-Comparative versus Comparative Advertising on Quality”. The abstract for their paper is as follows: Two firms produce a good with a horizontal and a vertical characteristic called … Read the rest of this entry »

February 9, 2012

Air Canada Announces “All-in Price” for Airfares – Highlights Market and Regulatory Trends to Advertise the Price, the Complete Price and Nothing But the Complete Price

It seems that a lot of time recently has been spent debating whether the price of products should be fully disclosed in advertising (and that many cases and regulatory announcements have turned on this apparently, but perhaps not so, simple question). For example, last year … Read the rest of this entry »

February 8, 2012

The Greenwashing Domino Effect

Moses & Singer LLP (New York) recently published what I thought was a rather fine comparative law article on greenwashing, entitled The Greenwashing Domino Effect, which includes a discussion of pro-active regulatory steps being taken in Canada. The Greenwashing Domino Effect – By Devika Kewalramani & … Read the rest of this entry »

February 2, 2012

Advertising Update: Is the Price Right? Increased Regulatory Scrutiny and Class Actions for Representations Involving Price

I saw this rather fine note recently by Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (Anita Banicevic, Erika Douglas and David Stolow).  We are reprinting it with permission. Is the Price Right?  Increased Regulatory Scrutiny and Class Actions for Representations Involving Price Businesses operating in Canada should … Read the rest of this entry »

January 28, 2012

Advertising Update: Rogers Makes Constitutional Arguments in Response to Performance Claims Challenge by Competition Bureau

The Vancouver Sun, Montreal Gazette, Huffington Post and others have reported that Rogers has launched constitutional arguments in response to allegations by the federal Competition Bureau that it misled consumers with performance claims in relation to its Chatr cell phone brand. In particular, according to … Read the rest of this entry »

January 25, 2012

Conferences: Canadian Bar Association – National Competition Law Section – Competition Law Spring Forum

The National Competition Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association will holding its annual Competition Law Spring Forum on May 2, 2012 in Toronto at the Toronto Board of Trade. From the CBA: “Aided by the 2009/10 changes to the Competition Act, the Canadian Competition … Read the rest of this entry »

January 22, 2012

Conferences: Canadian Institute – Advertising and Marketing Law Conference

JANUARY 25-26 2012 – Toronto The Canadian Institute will be holding an Advertising and Marketing Law Conference on Wednesday, January 25-26, 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. From the Canadian Institute: “We have obtained the highest quality speakers to present you with cutting edge analysis … Read the rest of this entry »