Publication of advertising standards by private association

No. 287. Publication of advertising standards by private association. The Commission announced its approval of advertising standards proposed for publication by a private association. The association has come to believe that a particular commodity is, in some instances, being locally advertised to the deception of consumers and the unfair disadvantage of competitors. It therefore devised a statement setting forth a number of practices which have heretofore been found unlawful by the Commission and proposed to invite industry members voluntarily to agree to avoid such practices. It intends also to make its statement avai1able to advertising media with a request that the media voluntarily use the standards set forth in the statement to screen proposed copy for acceptance.

Thc Commission stated that:

As long as each signer of the document agrees to, and abides by, its provisions without coercion, expressed or implied , and as long as each advertising medium exercises its own independent judgment, without coercion expressed or implied as to what copy it will accept or reject, the Commission would have no objcction to your proposed document as written, or its proposed usc. (File No. 683 7159, released Sept. 6, 1968.

1668 FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSIO DECISIONS