Overview of Laws and Regulations Related to Advertising
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《中华人民共和国广告法》（以下简称《广告法》）是规范广告活动、保护消费者权益、促进广告业健康发展的重要法律。该法自1994年首次颁布以来，经历了多次修订，最新的修正版于2021年通过，并于同年4月29日起施行。
The Advertising Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Advertising Law) is an important law that regulates advertising activities, protects the rights and interests of consumers and promotes the healthy development of the advertising industry. Since it was first promulgated in 1994, the Law has undergone a number of revisions, with the latest amended version passed in 2021 and coming into force on April 29 of the same year.
与广告活动相关的现行《电子商务法》于2019年1月1日起制定施行，对在中国境内的电子商务活动，即通过互联网等信息网络销售商品或者提供服务的经营活动进行规范，以保障电子商务各方主体的合法权益，规范电子商务行为，维护市场秩序，促进电子商务持续健康发展。
E-commerce Law of the People's Republic of China that relating to advertising came into force on January 1, 2019, which regulates the business activities of sale of goods or provision of services through Internet and other information network in the People's Republic of China, so as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of various entities in e-commerce, standardize e-commerce conduct, safeguard market order, and promote continued and healthy development of e-commerce.
为了规范互联网广告活动，保护消费者的合法权益，促进互联网广告业健康发展，维护公平竞争的市场经济秩序，根据《广告法》及《电子商务法》等法律、行政法规，《互联网广告管理办法》于2023年5月1日生效。在中华人民共和国境内，利用网站、网页、互联网应用程序等互联网媒介，以文字、图片、音频、视频或者其他形式，直接或者间接地推销商品或者服务的商业广告活动，适用广告法和本办法的规定。
In accordance with the Advertising Law, the E-commerce Law and other laws and administrative regulations for the purposes of regulating Internet advertising activities, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, promoting the healthy development of Internet advertising industry and maintaining the market economic order of fair competition, Administrative Measures for Internet Advertising entered into force on May 1, 2023. The Advertising Law and these Measures shall apply to commercial advertising activities for the direct or indirect promotion of commodities or services within the territory of the People's Republic of China by making use of websites, webpages, internet applications and other internet media in the forms of texts, pictures, audios, videos or other forms.
此外，《广告法》还与其他相关法律法规如反不正当竞争法、消费者权益保护法等相互支撑，共同构建了中国广告行业的法律框架。《广告法》为制定上述法律法规的基础，是我国广告行业规范运作的基础性法律文件，因此我们将对《广告法》进行梳理，力求从以下方面呈现出中国在广告行业治理上的核心要点。
In addition, the Advertising Law supports each other with other related laws and regulations, such as the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and the Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law, and together they build the legal framework for China's advertising industry regulation. The Advertising Law is the basis for the formulation of the above laws and regulations, and is the fundamental legal document for the standardized operation of China's advertising industry. Therefore, we will analyze the Advertising Law and strive to present the core points of China's governance of the advertising industry from the following aspects.
一、立法目的和适用范围
1. Purpose of the legislation and scope of application
《广告法》的主要目的是为了规范广告活动，保护消费者的合法权益，维护社会经济秩序，促进广告业的健康发展。其适用范围包括在中国境内从事广告活动的所有主体，如广告主、广告经营者、广告发布者和广告代言人。
This Advertising Law is enacted for the purposes of regulating advertising activities, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, promoting healthy development of the advertising industry, and maintaining social and economic order. It applies to commercial advertising activities for direct or indirect introduction of products or services promoted by business operators of goods or service providers via a certain medium and in a certain form within the territory of the People's Republic of China, and the regulated subjects are advertisers, advertising agents, advertisement publishers and advertisement endorser.
二、广告内容准则
2. Guidelines for advertising content
《广告法》对广告内容提出了严格的要求，明确规定广告不得含有虚假或者引人误解的内容，不得欺骗、误导消费者。广告内容必须真实、合法。此外，广告中对商品或服务的描述应准确清晰，不得使用“国家级”、“最高级”、“最佳”等用语。
The Advertising Law imposes strict requirements on the content of advertisements, it is clearly stipulated that advertisements shall not contain false or misleading content and shall not deceive or mislead consumers. The content of advertisements must be truthful and lawful. In addition, the description of goods or services in advertisements should be accurate and clear, and terms such as "national level," "highest level," "best" or similar wordings should not be used.
三、广告行为规范
3. Advertising Code of Conduct
《广告法》对广告主、广告经营者、广告发布者和广告代言人的行为进行了详细规范。例如，广告主需要对广告内容的真实性负责，并遵守相关法律法规；广告经营者和广告发布者在设计、制作和发布广告时，应委托具有合法经营资格的单位，并依法订立书面合同；广告代言人在广告中对商品、服务作推荐、证明，应当依据事实，并不得为其未使用过的商品或者未接受过的服务作推荐、证明。
The Advertising Law regulates in detail the behavior of advertisers, advertising agents, advertisement publishers and advertisement endorser. For instance, advertisers shall be responsible for the veracity of their advertisement contents; the advertising agents or advertisement publishers commissioned by advertisers for design, production and publishing of advertisements shall have the statutory qualifications for such business, and advertisers, advertising agents and advertisement publishers shall conclude written contracts in advertising activities according to law; the recommendation or proof made by an advertisement endorser for a product or service in an advertisement shall be based on facts, and shall not make recommendation or proof for a product or service that has never been used or accepted by him/her.
四、监督管理
4. Supervision and management
《广告法》设立了专门的监督管理机制，要求广告监督管理机关、广告审查机关及相关行政管理部门建立广告公告制度，并对虚假违法广告在新闻媒体上广泛刊播。此外，广告行业组织依照法律、法规和章程的规定，制定行业规范，加强行业自律，促进行业发展，引导会员依法从事广告活动，推动广告行业诚信建设。
The Advertising Law establishes specialized supervisory and management mechanisms, it requires advertising supervision and management authorities, advertising review authorities and relevant administrative departments to establish an advertising announcement system, and the false and illegal advertisements should be widely published in the news media. The advertising trade organization shall develop industry standards, strengthen self-regulation in the industry, promote industry development, guide members to engage in advertising activities pursuant to the law, and promote development of integrity in the advertising industry in accordance with the provisions of laws, regulations and its articles of association.
五、法律责任
5. Legal Liability
《广告法》对违反法律法规的行为设定了严格的法律责任。例如，发布虚假广告、欺骗误导消费者，使购买商品或者接受服务的消费者的合法权益受到损害的，由广告主依法承担民事责任；广告经营者、广告发布者不能提供广告主的真实名称、地址和有效联系方式的，消费者可以要求广告经营者、广告发布者先行赔偿。关系消费者生命健康的商品或者服务的虚假广告，造成消费者损害的，其广告经营者、广告发布者、广告代言人应当与广告主承担连带责任。另外，市场监督管理部门有权责令停止发布广告并处以罚款，情节严重者可吊销营业执照。其中最重要的处罚依据为《广告法》第28条的规定，涉及虚假广告的具体情形包括商品或服务不存在、夸大商品性能、功能、产地、用途、质量、规格、成分、价格、生产者、有效期等。
The Advertising Law sets strict legal liabilities for violations of laws and regulations. For instance, with regard to any false advertisement published in violation of provisions of this Law that deceives or misleads consumers, causing damage to the legitimate rights and interests of consumers who have purchased the products or used the services so advertised, the advertiser shall bear civil responsibilities in accordance with the law; if the advertising agent or advertisement publisher fails to provide the true name, address and valid contact information of the advertiser, the consumers may require the advertising agent or advertisement publisher to make advance compensation. Where a false advertisement for a product or service relating to the life and health of consumers causes damage to the consumers, the advertising agent, advertisement publisher or advertisement endorser for such advertisement shall bear joint and several liabilities with the advertiser. In addition, the market supervision and management authorities have the right to order the cessation of the publication of advertisements and impose a fine, and in serious cases, the business license can be revoked. Article 28 of the Advertising Law is often used as the basis for penalties, and specific situations involving false advertisements include the non-existence of goods or services, exaggeration of the performance, function, origin, use, quality, specifications, ingredients, price, producer, and expiration date of the goods, etc.
六、结论
6. Conclusion
《广告法》通过规范广告内容和行为，保护消费者权益，促进广告业健康发展。其严格的法律责任和监督管理机制确保了广告市场的公平竞争和健康发展。通过学习和理解《广告法》，企业和个人可以更好地规避违法风险，维护自身合法权益。
The Advertising Law protects the rights and interests of consumers and promotes the healthy development of the advertising industry by regulating the content and behavior of advertisements. Its strict legal liability and supervision and management mechanisms ensure fair competition and healthy development of the advertising market. By studying and understanding the Advertising Law, enterprises and individuals can better avoid the risk of violating the law and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.
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