Category Archives: Price Advertising

July 7, 2021

New Competition Bureau Compliance Bootcamp Video: Avoiding Deceptive Marketing

The Competition Bureau (Bureau) recently began posting new Compliance Bootcamp compliance videos.  In this regard, on July 7, 2021 the Bureau posted its Avoiding Deceptive Marketing Compliance Bootcamp video. This compliance video sets out guidance to avoid engaging in deceptive marketing practices, including making false … Read the rest of this entry »

March 22, 2021

The Competition Bureau’s 2021 Fraud Prevention Month Priorities

Practical Law Canada Competition (of which I am Lawyer Editor) has published a new Legal Update, which discusses the Competition Bureau’s (Bureau) 2021 Fraud Prevention Month Priorities. The Update provides an overview of civil and criminal misleading advertising enforcement under the Competition Act, R.S.C. 1985, … Read the rest of this entry »

May 13, 2020

COVID-19 Consumer Protection Enforcement: A Tale of Two Countries

My new Canadian Lawyer column discusses recent price gouging and deceptive marketing law enforcement in Canada.  Some of the issues raised include speed of enforcement, political statements compared to actual enforcement and, perhaps, most importantly, transparency in relation to warnings and penalties.  My new column … Read the rest of this entry »

May 6, 2020

Competition Bureau Increases Enforcement For COVID-19 Marketing Claims

On May 6, 2020, Canada’s Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced that it was increasing its enforcement of deceptive COVID-19 advertising and marketing claims (see: Competition Bureau cracking down on deceptive marketing claims about COVID-19 prevention or treatment). In making the announcement, the Bureau said: “As concerned … Read the rest of this entry »

April 3, 2020

COVID-19 (Corona Virus): Canadian Competition and Advertising Law Developments

The global spread of COVID-19 has had significant impacts in most major areas of law, including Canadian competition and advertising law. Both federal and provincial governments in Canada have been introducing unprecedented new legislation and orders relating to key aspects of competition and advertising law, … Read the rest of this entry »

March 6, 2020

New Competition Bureau Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest: Priorities Include Misleading Data Privacy Claims

Practical Law Canada Competition has published a New Legal Update, which discusses the Competition Bureau’s new Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest, including the following key current Bureau advertising enforcement priorities: false or misleading data privacy claims, weight loss claims and online pricing and drip pricing. All … Read the rest of this entry »

February 27, 2020

My New Canadian Lawyer Column: Upfront Pricing – Is That Too Much To Ask?

In my new Canadian Lawyer Column, I take a bit of a light-hearted tiptoe through recent drip-pricing cases enforced by the Competition Bureau, including the announcement on February 13, 2020 that StubHub agreed to pay $1.3 million for allegedly violating the misleading advertising provisions of … Read the rest of this entry »

February 14, 2020

The Price, the Whole Price and Nothing But the Price: StubHub Pays $1.3 Million Penalty Following Bureau Drip Pricing Probe

The Competition Bureau’s (Bureau) top priority for enforcement and advocacy is currently the digital economy (see, for example, here, here, here, here and here). And for online marketing practices, false or misleading prices, including drip-pricing (i.e., where additional fees for an online purchase are only … Read the rest of this entry »