Effective February 11, 2019, Ad Standards has developed and
implemented a new competitor advertising dispute procedure, making
significant changes to the process that came before.
Ad Standards is Canada's industry self-regulatory body, and
administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards
(the "Code"), which sets out the criteria for truthful,
fair and accurate advertising. Ad Standards also offers
dispute-resolution mechanism for consumers, special interest groups
and advertisers. The Advertising Dispute Procedure (the
"Procedure") provides a forum for advertisers to
challenge another party's advertising for contravening one or
more provisions of the Code. Prior to the modified
Procedure, parties would first be required to participate in a
mandatory mediation session. If a complaint was not resolved in
mediation, it would go to a hearing at which both parties would
submit oral arguments in front of a panel.
