Advertising and Marketing Law
Restaurant Law University: Branding and Marketing Concerns
May 23, 2017Hospitality businesses are becoming increasingly creative in their marketing, not only to win new business, but also to maintain relationships with loyal customers. On June 6, 2017, Kyle-Beth Hilfer will moderate and speak at Restaurant Law University. In her presentation on branding, she will discuss the legal implications of various branding and marketing techniques.
Read More...Influencer Marketing Ills: Legal Problems on Instagram
April 24, 2017The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been watching social media influencer marketing campaigns particularly carefully. In the modern world of social media marketing, the line between acceptable business practices and illegal deceptive speech can be blurry. The government agency wants to ensure that consumers are not manipulated with endorsements and testimonials that brands have “bought.” In the first quarter of 2017, the FTC went on the prowl on Instagram to find influencers and brands whose posts may be violating the law. In April, the FTC sent over ninety letters to companies and some celebrity and other social media users, reminding them of the legal requirements for clarity in their influencer marketing.
Read More...How to Negotiate, Prepare for, and Conduct a Licensing Audit
April 12, 2017One of the most frequently overlooked clauses in a licensing agreement is the audit clause. A badly worded clause may leave the Licensor struggling to discover and collect unpaid royalties if the Licensee omits or underestimates revenue collected. At the same time, an overreaching clause leaves the Licensee exposed to business interruption and possible bad publicity. Here is a look at the licensing audit from both the Licensor’s and Licensee’s perspectives.
Read More...Consumer Protection: Preparing for Evolution under President Trump
January 23, 2017With the inauguration of President Trump, I have four broad predictions about consumer protection under the new administration.
Read More...DMCA Update: Act Now to Maintain Legal Safe Harbor
December 1, 2016The US Copyright Office’s new regulations on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) go into effect today December 1, 2016. In order to maintain a website’s valuable DMCA safe harbor protections, service providers must conform to the new requirements.
Read More...Legal Reasons to Make Sure Consumers Understand Your Advertising Disclosures
October 5, 2016We’ve all seen the fine print in advertising, but do we, as consumers, read or understand what these disclosures say? This inquiry was the focus of the FTC’s recent workshop “Putting Disclosures to the Test.” The consensus was that consumers neither read nor understand many disclosures. At the same time, the workshop suggested some best practices for formulating disclosures, even as the FTC considers whether to increase regulation in this area.
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