Category Archives: Price Advertising

June 11, 2015

Competition Bureau Highlights Priorities, Compliance Guidelines in New Advertising Publication

The Canadian Competition Bureau has been increasing its advocacy, outreach and compliance efforts since the (relatively) new Commissioner of Competition (John Pecman) took office. As part of this effort, it appears to be focusing on introducing more new media (and also an increasing range) of … Read the rest of this entry »

November 25, 2014

Water Heater Supplier Scalded With $7 Million Advertising Law Settlement, Tough Compliance Terms (and Monitor)

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 … Read the rest of this entry »

November 11, 2014

Numerous Warning Letters Serve as a Reminder that the FTC is Always Watching

November 11, 2014 Guest post by Shannon Harell (Information Law Group) The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has been very active in its enforcement efforts in the past couple of months. In addition to other actions which we have blogged about, the FTC recently sent dozens … Read the rest of this entry »

September 23, 2014

General Impressions Matter: US FTC, Australian ACCC Take Issue Over Headline Claims (and Some Compliance Tips)

In the advertising law world, general impressions matter – a lot. In Canada, the federal Competition Act even includes specific sections that provide that the general impression of a claim (i.e., not merely the literal meaning of an advertising claim or what is included in … Read the rest of this entry »

June 4, 2014

Canadian Competition Law (Competition Act) Compliance: A Primer

“Every business and individual has a duty to act lawfully. The Bureau operates on the assumption that all businesses and their senior management wish to comply with the law. Compliance is important for all businesses, regardless of their size, for both legal and practical reasons. … Read the rest of this entry »

March 17, 2014

New Books: Canadian Competition Law Developments & Trends in 2013, in CLE BC’s Annual Review of Law & Practice 2014

The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia (CLE BC) has published its Annual Review of Law & Practice – 2014.  This summary of major areas of Canadian law applicable in British Columbia includes my co-authored chapter on Canadian competition law developments and trends in … Read the rest of this entry »

January 15, 2014

Apple Settles With U.S. FTC in Kids’ In-App Disclosure Case – Highlights Importance of Upfront Disclosure of Charges & Key Terms

Earlier today, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Apple Inc. had agreed to refund consumers USD $32.5 million, under a proposed consent order, in relation to alleged failures to adequately disclose kids’ mobile app charges. More specifically, the case involved FTC allegations that … Read the rest of this entry »

December 5, 2013

Competition Bureau Announces First New Advocacy Initiative: Self-regulated Professions (Pharmacist Inducements in Alberta): Patient Care v. Competitive Markets

On September 10th, the Canadian Competition Bureau announced a public consultation for suggestions where it should intervene in regulated markets (i.e., where the Bureau does not have direct enforcement powers given the existence of legislation or regulations sanctioning conduct that would otherwise violate the Competition … Read the rest of this entry »