Important Notice: (注意事项)
英文本源自中华人民共和国务院法制局编译, 中国法制出版社出版的《中华人民
共和国涉外法规汇编》(1991年7月版).
当发生歧意时, 应以法律法规颁布单位发布的中文原文为准.
This English document is coming from the "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
Whole Document (法规全文)
REGULATIONS ON CONTROL OF ADVERTISEMENTS
(Promulgated by the State Council on October 26, 1987)
Article 1
These Regulations are formulated for the purpose of strengthening the
administration of advertisement, promoting the development of
advertisement undertakings and utilizing advertisement as an effective
medium to serve socialist construction.
Article 2
These Regulations shall apply to any advertisements published, broadcast,
installed or posted in the People's Republic of China through such media
or in such forms as the press, broadcasting, television, films, street
nameplates, shop windows, printed matters, neon lights, etc.
Article 3
The content of an advertisement must be true to facts, sound, clear and
easy to understand and must not cheat users and consumers in any way.
Article 4
Monopoly and unfair competition shall be prohibited in advertising
operations.
Article 5
The administrative organs controlling advertisements shall be the State
Administration for Industry and Commerce and local administrative
departments for industry and commerce at various levels.
Article 6
Units and self-employed industrialists or businessmen wishing to engage in
advertising businesses (hereinafter referred to as advertising operators)
shall submit applications to administrative departments for industry and
commerce in accordance with these Regulations and the provisions of other
relevant laws and regulations and go through, according to different
circumstances, such formalities as examination, approval or registration:
(1) for enterprises specializing in advertising business, Business
Licences for Enterprises as Legal Persons shall be issued;
(2) for institutions concurrently engaged in advertising business,
Licences for Advertising Operation shall be issued;
(3) for self-employed industrialists or businessmen capable of running
advertising businesses, Business Licences shall be issued;
(4) for enterprises concurrently engaged in advertising business,
applications shall be filed with the relevant departments for change of
business scope registration.
Article 7
The content of an advertisement to be published, broadcast, installed or
posted shall be kept within the advertiser's business scope or the scope
permitted by the State.
Article 8
An advertisement that contains any of the following contents may not be
published, broadcast, installed or posted:
(1) that violates the laws and regulations of the State;
(2) that impairs the national dignity of the State;
(3) that involves designs of the national flag, national emblem or
national anthem or the music of the national anthem of the People's
Republic of China;
(4) that is reactionary, obscene, superstitious or absurd;
(5) that is fraudulent;
(6) that depreciates products of the same kind.
Article 9
News media shall provide clear indications for the advertisement they
publish or broadcast. News media may not publish or broadcast
advertisements in the form of news reports nor collect fees for these
reports. Journalists may not solicit advertisements in the name of news
coverage.
Article 10
It shall be forbidden to advertise cigarettes through broadcast,
television, newspapers or periodicals.
After approval by administrative departments for industry and commerce, it
may be allowed to advertise famous wines and liquors of good quality which
have won prizes at the national, ministerial or provincial level.
Article 11
Due certificates shall be presented in applying for publishing,
broadcasting, installing or posting advertisements in the following cases:
(1) for the commodity advertisements concerning standards of quality,
certificates issued by administrative departments in charge of
standardization or by quality inspection agencies, authenticated to be
qualified by metrological verification, above the provincial municipality
level shall be presented;
(2) for the advertisements which indicate commodities as prize-winners,
certificates of award for the current session or year or for successive
sessions or years shall be presented and classes of prizes and prize-
awarding departments shall also be clearly indicated in the
advertisements;
(3) for the advertisements which indicate titles of high-quality
commodities, certificates of high-quality products issued by the relevant
departments shall be presented and clear indications shall also be made in
the advertisements as to when and by which departments the titles were
conferred on;
(4) for the advertisements which indicate patent rights of commodities,
patent licences shall be presented;
(5) for the advertisements which indicate registered trademarks of
commodities, certificates of trademark registration shall be presented;
(6) for the advertisements of the products which require production
permits, production permits shall be presented;
(7) for the advertisements concerning culture, education and public
health, certificates issued by the higher competent authorities shall be
presented;
(8) for the other advertisements which require due certification, papers
issued by relevant government departments or agencies authorized by them
shall be presented.
Article 12
Advertising operators shall check papers or certificates and examine the
contents of advertisements while undertaking advertising business or
acting as advertising agents. They may not publish, broadcast, install or
post any advertisements which violate the provisions of these Regulations.
Article 13
For the installation and posting of outdoor advertisements, local people's
governments shall organize the administrative departments respectively in
charge of industry and commerce, urban construction, environmental
protection and public security in jointly drawing up the plans, which
shall be implemented under the supervision of the administrative
departments for industry and commerce.
Advertisements may not be installed or posted in controlled areas near
government organs or cultural relics under special protection, nor in
areas where installation and posting of advertisements are prohibited by
local people's governments.
Article 14
Rates of charges for advertisements shall be fixed by advertising
operators and reported to local administrative departments for industry
and commerce and to those in charge of price control for the record.
Article 15
Rates of fees to be charged for acting as agents in advertising business
shall be fixed by state administrative departments for industry and
commerce and those in charge of price control.
Rates fees to be charged for the use of places and buildings for outdoor
advertisements shall be fixed through consultations by local
administrative departments for industry and commerce with those in charge
of price control and urban construction and reported to local people's
governments for approval.
Article 16
Advertising operators must, according to the relevant prescriptions of the
State, set up bookkeeping records, pay taxes according to law and subject
themselves to the control and inspection by the administrative departments
respectively in charge of finance, auditing and industry and commerce.
Article 17
In undertaking or acting as agents in advertising business, advertising
operators shall sign with advertisers or those who have entrusted them
with the business written contracts that shall stipulate explicitly each
party's responsibilities.
Article 18
Advertisers or advertising operators who have violated the provisions of
these Regulations shall be given the following penalties by administrative
departments for industry and commerce according to the seriousness of the
cases:
(1) stopping advertising;
(2) making public corrections as ordered;
(3) circulating a notice of criticism;
(4) confiscation of the illegal gains;
(5) fines;
(6) suspending business for consolidation;
(7) revocation of the business licences or the licences for advertising
operation. If the violations of the provisions of these Regulations are so
serious as to constitute crimes, criminal responsibilities shall be
investigated by judicial organs according to law.
Article 19
If advertisers or advertising operators disagree with the penalties
decided upon by administrative departments for industry and commerce, they
may apply for a reconsideration to the next higher administrative
departments for industry and commerce within 15 days after receiving
penalty notices. If they still disagree with the decisions made after
reconsideration, they may bring a suit in a people's court within 30 days
after receiving the reconsideration decisions.
Article 20
Advertisers or advertising operators who, in violation of the provisions
of these Regulations, have caused losses on the part of their users and
consumers or committed other acts of infringement shall bear the
responsibility for compensation. With respect to claims for damages, the
claimant may request the administrative departments for industry and
commerce above the county level for handling. If the parties concerned
disagree with the decisions made by administrative departments for
industry and commerce, they may bring a suit in a people's court. The
claimant may also directly bring a suit in a people's court.
Article 21
These Regulations shall be interpreted by the State Administration for
Industry and Commerce. The rules for implementation shall be formulated by
the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
Article 22
These Regulations shall go into effect as of December 1, 1987. The Interim
Regulations on Control of Advertisement promulgated by the State Council
on February 6, 1982 shall be abrogated as of the same date.