Advertising is a form of expression that is a major part of American mass media. Our goal for this chapter is to understand the ways in which advertising messages are regulated by the government.

We will explore commercial speech doctrine, which means that truthful advertising for legal products and services is normally protected by the First Amendment.

We will also learn about the Federal Trade Commission, which is empowered to protect companies and consumers from misleading or dishonest advertisements. As a federal regulatory commission, the FTC has rules and procedures that it follows to police advertising.

To learn more about the FTC, you can go to its website at http://www.ftc.gov/

We will also study:

• The Lanham Act, which protects companies against unfair competition by competitors who use false advertising
• The responsibilities of celebrities or experts who endorse commercial products in advertisements
• The liability of advertising agencies involved in false advertising
• The liability of publishers or broadcasters who carry false advertising
• The test that courts use to determine when the government is justified in limiting truthful advertising.