Advertising Compliance Service's
Many Features
Advertising Compliance Service™ covers advertising legal developments in depth. ACS contains a wealth of important features that will be very briefly discussed on this page. To summarize, Advertising Compliance Service™ consists of the following:
1. The foundational multi-volume reference set organized for your convenience into 26 subject categories. New subscribers receive three-volumes containing approximately 1,000 pages of past Issues already filed.
2. 24 Information-Packed Issues annually.
Advertising Compliance Service™ is published on the first and third Mondays of every month. Each issue of the Service contains several articles, the topics of which fall within the 26 subject headings described below. Each Issue is designed to be easily disassembled, and the articles filed behind the appropriate "tabs." The tab location for each article is printed at the top of each page of the article, so that refiling is quick and easy. In addition, complete filing instructions for each issue of Advertising Compliance Service™ appear at the end of the "Bulletin" section of the issue. (On March 19, 2007, we published our 614th Issue!).
3. Lawyer's Reference Service
At the end of every article* in Advertising Compliance Service™ is the "Lawyer's Reference Service," in which appear all cases (with full citations), statutes, laws, rules and regulations mentioned in the article as well as pertinent or source publications to which the author of the article has referred. (*The only exceptions are the "Roundups" which contain these references internally rather than at the end of the article.)
4. 6 Special Reports
Six Special Reports are sent to our subscribers during the volume year. These Reports include the full texts of:
- Landmark advertising compliance court decisions.
- Important federal legislation.
- Key administrative rules, regulations, decisions or cases.
- Major federal agency actions and/or pronouncements.
- Analyses of important advertising law topics.
5. Comprehensive INDEX and numerous TABLES
Advertising Compliance Service™ has an arsenal of research tools to make finding important topics and cases quick and easy.
The remainder of this discussion examines the Contents of Advertising Compliance Service.
Advertising Compliance Service™ consists of 26 separate tabs. The following is a listing of these tabs along with a brief description of the contents of each tab:
1. Bulletins
This tab is your starting point for all up-to-the-minute developments. It consists of four parts: (a) Our "From the Editor in Chief" section gives you an "at-a-glance" summary of the articles for the current report. (b) "Brief News of Note" gives you a quick rundown of the latest ad compliance developments. (c) Our "Calendar of Events" section--published whenever events warrant--tells you, whenever appropriate, about the important upcoming ad compliance events so you can plan whether to attend. (d) Our "Filing Instructions for Contents of this Issue" gives complete filing instructions for that particular Issue.
2. General Articles
Includes many highly informative articles containing exclusive interviews with key ad compliance officials. It is here where you will find such articles as “Current Trends in Advertising Law,” our "Washington Roundup" articles that regularly review the recent ad actions involving FTC, our “Roundup of Recent Ad Compliance Actions”–that regularly summarizes actions from federal courts across the U.S. affecting advertising law, and many, many more.
3. Self-Regulation
Explores the highly important self-regulatory aspect of the ad industry, including a regular summary and analysis of the latest decisions of the National Advertising Division, Children’s Advertising Review Unit, Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program, National Advertising Review Board, etc.
4. False, Unfair, Deceptive
Focuses on FTC's authority over "false," "unfair," and "deceptive" advertising.
5. Substantiation
Articles discuss the latest thinking on the important ad compliance test known as "advertising substantiation" (i.e., reasonable basis requirements, comparative effectiveness and superiority claims).
6. Comparative Ads
This area has grown significantly in importance over the past 30 years. A number of articles in this tab zero in on this important area.
7. Remedies (Public)
Remedies such as corrective advertising are discussed.
8. Remedies (Private)
Explores such important private law remedies as the Lanham Act.
9. State Law
Discusses various aspects of ad compliance activity at the state level (e.g., state unfair and deceptive practices statutes, state laws on advertising that form the basis for personal injury claims).
10. Commercial Speech
Articles examine such important topics as the Central Hudson test, First Amendment considerations, and more.
11. Labeling
Articles answer such questions as, "When does your `ad' become a label?"
12. Trademark, Copyright
Articles offer information such as how to protect your trademark.
13. Rights of Publicity, Privacy
Includes a number of highly informative articles in this changing area (does an employer need to ask employees' permission to use in its ads photographs in which the employees appear?).
14. Broadcasting
This area has changed dramatically in recent years. Articles in this tab help explain what these changes are and how to cope with them.
15. New Media
Articles trace the ad compliance developments for such highly important advertising outlets as the Internet, the World Wide Web, interactive cable, wireless devices, cell phones, and many others.
16. Children's Ads
This tab explores the latest children's advertising compliance issues.
17. Food, Drugs, Cosmetics
Discusses such topics as direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs.
18. Alcoholic Beverages
Explores alcoholic beverage advertising and ad compliance implications.
19. Professional Ads
Helps professionals such as lawyers and doctors comply with the changing standards.
20. Political Ads
Discusses such topics as "issue ads."
21. Sweepstakes, Contests
Articles help clear away the legal thicket of this important area of the law.
22. Warranties
"Trade Groups seek to limit scope of `Puffery' Proposal" is an example of one important article that appeared in this tab.
23. Financial Ads
Along with banking deregulation has come a freer attitude on the part of banks and other financial institutions towards advertising. Articles explore the current deregulatory atmosphere and its impact on ad compliance.
24. Government Standards
While not as critical as in earlier, “activist" days, this area is still an area of concern.
25. Business of Advertising
Contains articles that, for example, explore the business impact of advertising on the Internet and World Wide Web.
26. International Advertising
Contains articles about important ad compliance developments abroad and their impact on your client’s advertising.
27. Green Advertising
Contains articles about important ad compliance developments affecting environmental or "green" advertising.
Advertising Law-Related Articles
- "12 Key Advertising-Related Laws You Should Know"
- This article examines 12 key advertising-related laws that you should know about before you review your ads to make sure your ads don't run afoul of these laws.
- "10 Things to Do So Your Ads Comply With Advertising Laws"
- This article discusses 10 key areas you should look at when you're reviewing your advertising to determine whether it's in compliance with advertising law's many requirements.
- "10 Tactics to Use So Your Ads Comply with Advertising Laws"
- This article presents 10 tactics you could use to help your ads comply with the many laws, rules, regulations and guidelines that may affect your advertisements.
- "10 Major Advertising Law-Related Concepts"
- This article is a useful review of 10 key areas you should look at when you're reviewing your advertising to determine whether it's in compliance with the numerous laws, rules, regulations and guidelines that may affect your ads.