Please Be Ad-vised: 7th Edition

The most recent edition of a guide to all aspects of law connected with the advertising profession.

Wood (101 Things I’d Like to Say…The Collection, 2014, etc.) presents an updated layman’s guide to laws related to the practice of advertising, the seventh edition of a work originally published in 1995. Wood makes it clear that, though there is often room for interpretation on legal matters, he holds advertisers to a high professional standard, and he is unequivocal on some points. “Put bluntly, it’s unprofessional not to have a written agreement” between an agency and a client, and he clearly feels that it is counterproductive for advertisers to disregard the nonbinding rulings of their industry associations. The book opens with a detailed discussion of the laws governing intellectual property, its use, and the rights of both creators and owners of copyrights, trademarks and other protections. Wood also covers aspects of communications law, from how to make legitimate claims in infomercials to the restrictions on telemarketing, as well as the laws governing an advertising agency’s relationships with its clients and suppliers. Some of the topics covered in the book are less obvious—for instance, the proper way to respond to unsolicited ideas in order to protect against possible future claims of infringement. Wood addresses all relevant media in which advertising may appear, including the ever evolving online landscape. Social media, in particular, is incorporated into the text—as when the chapter on product testimonials features a discussion of recent Federal Trade Commission rules that have defined how disclosure requirements apply to bloggers—and given its own chapter. Throughout the book, Wood makes frequent reference to case law, both to illustrate his concepts through examples and to demonstrate where precedents exist. He does not, however, delve into legal minutiae; the book is clearly not intended for lawyers but for professionals who need a broad yet basic understanding of the relevant laws. A companion website, which requires registration, provides additional resources.

A well-written, comprehensive reference work for advertisers who want to understand the many laws that affect their profession.