Homeserve ruling: now cold-caller silence could be golden for victims – The Guardian

“Homeserve, fined £75,000 by Ofcom, is offering consumers compensation if it is the source of nuisance marketing calls.”

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The Guardian, 21st April 2012

Source:www.guardian.co.uk

TfL bans Christian groups’ ‘gay cure’ advert from London buses – The Independent

Posted April 13th, 2012 in advertising, Christianity, freedom of expression, homosexuality, news by tracey

” An attempt by evangelical Christians to promote ‘gay cure’ therapies on the sides of London buses was banned last night, sparking an angry row over free speech.”

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The Independent, 13th April 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Vinnie Jones CPR advert cleared by watchdog – The Guardian

Posted April 11th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, health, news by sally

“A TV campaign featuring Vinnie Jones teaching people how to resuscitate someone, set to the rhythm of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive, has been cleared by the advertising watchdog despite complaints it featured a medically unsafe technique.”

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The Guardian, 11th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cigarette and tobacco displays banned in supermarkets – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2012 in advertising, health, news, smoking by sally

“Packets of cigarettes will disappear from the shelves of supermarkets in England on Friday and must stay hidden in closed cupboards, out of sight and – the government and campaigners hope – out of mind.”

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The Guardian, 5th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘As seen on TV’ claims cannot be made in ads for products that appeared only as unbranded props, CAP says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted April 10th, 2012 in advertising, consumer protection, news by sally

“Companies cannot claim that the product they are advertising is ‘… as seen on TV ‘ or ‘… as seen in’ certain publications if those products merely featured as unbranded props in programmes or in paid-for ads in those mediums, an ad body has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th April 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Gratuitous’ American Apparel ads banned – The Guardian

Posted April 4th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen, pornography, women by sally

“The advertising watchdog has banned an ad campaign by American Apparel featuring semi-naked young women, after investigating a complaint that it is ‘pornographic and exploitative’.”

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The Guardian, 4th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sainsbury’s ‘feed your family for £50’ ads banned – The Guardian

Posted April 4th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, food, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Sainsbury’s £10m ‘feed your family for £50’ advertising campaign has been banned because its meal plans failed to provide enough calories and cost more than advertised.”

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The Guardian, 4th April 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Christmas midget bar promotion ‘offensive’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 28th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, news by sally

“A bar that promised revellers the chance to party with ‘our very own Xmas midgets’ acted offensively and irresponsibly, a watchdog has ruled.”

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Daily Telegraph, 28th March 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

RMT legal threat to Boris Johnson over election poster – BBC News

Posted March 27th, 2012 in advertising, defamation, elections, London, news, trade unions by sally

“The RMT union is threatening Boris Johnson with legal action over a poster it claims portrays leader Bob Crow as ‘corrupt, venal and scandalous’.”

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BBC News, 26th March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sports law: rules of the game – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 22nd, 2012 in advertising, competition, drug abuse, media, news, sport by sally

“The complex web of commercial and regulatory issues that surrounds sport is occupying an ever-increasing amount of lawyers’ time. That was evident at the Law Society’s Sports Law Conference, held at Chancery Lane last week. It may be true that, as Charles Russell partner Simon Johnson told the conference, ‘a sports right as such does not exist’. But that has not stopped the rights and laws that affect sport from developing into a unique combination of problems whose resolution requires a growing cast of legal minds.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd March 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Advertising watchdog clears NSPCC publicity – BBC News

Posted March 21st, 2012 in advertising, child abuse, complaints, news by sally

“The advertising watchdog has cleared publicity material for the NSPCC after complaints that its reference to child abuse was ‘disturbing and offensive’.”

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BBC News, 21st March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

‘Eco-friendly’ fur ad banned – The Guardian

Posted March 21st, 2012 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen by sally

“An ad campaign claiming that it is ‘eco-friendly to wear fur’ has been banned, after the advertising watchdog dismissed assertions that choosing fur is good because it ‘lasts a lifetime’ and ‘helps conservation’.”

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The Guardian, 21st March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Groupon guilty of ‘widespread’ breaches of consumer protection laws – The Guardian

Posted March 16th, 2012 in advertising, consumer protection, news, unfair contract terms by tracey

“An Office of Fair Trading investigation has found Groupon guilty of ‘widespread’ breaches of consumer protection laws, relating to issues including the pricing, advertising and unfair terms attached to its daily deals.”

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The Guardian, 16th March 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mars Rio Ferdinand and Katie Price Twitter advert cleared – BBC News

Posted March 7th, 2012 in advertising, consumer protection, internet, news by sally

“A Mars marketing campaign has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in its first investigation involving Twitter.”

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BBC News, 7th March 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Broadcasters cannot unduly discriminate between advertisers under new Ofcom rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 1st, 2012 in advertising, codes of practice, media, news by tracey

“Television broadcasters are prohibited from unduly discriminating between advertisers looking to market on their service under new rules introduced by Ofcom.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 29th February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Sofa King advert banned for ‘swearing’ slogan – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 29th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen by tracey

“A furniture shop has been banned from advertising its prices as ‘Sofa King Low’ because the strapline hints at a swear word.”

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Daily Telegraph, 29th February 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Ryanair ‘sexist adverts’ banned after complaints – BBC News

Posted February 15th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, news, ombudsmen by sally

“Two UK newspaper adverts for budget airline Ryanair have been banned after complaints from readers that they were sexist and objectified women.”

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BBC News, 15th February 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

£20,000 fine levied for marketing ‘likely to result in harm to children’ – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 3rd, 2012 in advertising, children, fines, internet, news, telecommunications by sally

“PhonepayPlus has fined a company £20,000 after determining that it was in ‘serious’ breach of its rules around the promotion of premium rate services (PRS) to children after two sisters ran up a bill of more than £2,500 texting the service.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 3rd February 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Tobacco companies drop judicial review proceedings over display ban – The Lawyer

Posted January 25th, 2012 in advertising, judicial review, news, smoking by sally

“Four leading tobacco manufacturers have dropped their judicial review bid against the Government’s plan to introduce a display ban on tobacco products.”

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The Lawyer, 25th January 2012

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Private clinics that offer abortions can advertise on TV – The Guardian

Posted January 23rd, 2012 in abortion, advertising, news by sally

“Private clinics that charge for pregnancy services, including abortions, will be able to advertise on television and radio under new regulations.”

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The Guardian, 21st January 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk