Category Archives: International Developments

“Babies Can Read!” or Consumers Can’t Think – May Be a Close Call – FTC Seeks $185 Million Settlement

In a recent case that I can only describe as bizarre, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has announced that it has filed false advertising charges against the marketers of “Your Baby Can Read!”, a learning program for toddlers that, according to the FTC, was “widely … Read the rest of this entry »

Conferences: CCCE Publishes Updated Canada In the Pacific Century Conference Agenda: Ottawa – September 24-25, 2012

From the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE): “On September 24-25, 2012, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives will host “Canada in the Pacific Century”, a conference bringing together leaders from business, government, academia, and other key groups to discuss Asia’s rise and the implications … Read the rest of this entry »

Advertising Law: New Publications: Word of Mouth Marketing Association: Social Media Marketing Disclosure Guide

The U.S. Word of Mouth Marketing Association (“WOMMA”) published earlier today a new edition of its Social Media Marketing Disclosure Guide (see: The WOMMA Guide to Disclosure in Social Media Marketing). From WOMMA: “As part of WOMMA’s continuing effort to advance and advocate ethical word of mouth, WOMMA … Read the rest of this entry »

New Papers: “Regulation of Information and Advertising”

Paul Rubin has published an interesting paper on the “Regulation of Information and Advertising” in Competition Policy International. Abstract: “Deception is the manipulation of information to gain some advantage. This paper considers commercial deception through advertising. The paper first discusses the economics of information. The … Read the rest of this entry »

A Few Competition & Regulatory Developments

A few interesting competition and regulatory developments caught my eye today including: The Conference Board of Canada published a new report on Chinese foreign direct investment in Canada: Fear the Dragon?  Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Canada. The Fraser Institute published a comparative note on … Read the rest of this entry »

A Few Regulatory Law Developments and Some News

A few regulatory law developments and news items that caught my eye in the last couple days included: Consumer Protection BC issued its 2011 Annual Report, which includes some discussion of marketing law enforcement and telemarketing: Debt collection, retail and travel are top questions for … Read the rest of this entry »

A Few Interesting Competition, Advertising & Regulatory Law Developments

A few interesting competition, advertising and regulatory law developments caught my eye today including: The Competition Bureau published its May Report of Concluded Merger Reviews including Glencore/Viterra (3 advance ruling certificates and 16 no action letters): Monthly Report of Concluded Merger Reviews – May. The … Read the rest of this entry »

Conferences: FTC Workshop: Advertising and Privacy Disclosure in Online and Mobile Media

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will be holding a very interesting upcoming workshop on advertising and privacy disclosure in online and mobile media on May 30, 2012 entitled In Short: Advertising & Privacy Disclosures in a Digital World. The workshop, which will also be webcast, … Read the rest of this entry »