LEGAL REGULATION OF

ADVERTISING IN INDIA
Thesis submitted to the University of Delhi
for the Award of the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN
LAW

By
ANCHAL MITTAL

Under the Supervision of

DR. SUNANDA BHARTI

FACULTY OF LAW
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
DELHI-110007
2019
 DECLARATION

I, Anchal Mittal hereby declare that this Doctoral thesis entitled ‘Legal Regulation of
Advertising in India’ has been prepared entirely by me on the basis of original research.
Information derived from the works of others has been duly acknowledged.

I further declare that no part of this thesis has been published or submitted to any other
institution for any other purpose.

Anchal Mittal
Candidate

i
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Anchal Mittal has worked under my supervision on the topic
‘Legal Regulation of Advertising in India’. To my knowledge, the work reported in
this thesis is original and has not been submitted in part or full to this University or any
other institution for award of any degree, diploma, certificate etc. I am satisfied that this
work is worthy of consideration for award of degree of Doctor of Philosophy in law.
Hence this work is forwarded to the University for evaluation.

(Dr. Sunanda Bharti)

Supervisor

Prof. (Dr.) Raman Mittal

Dean and Head

Faculty of Law
University of Delhi

ii
 Faculty of Law
University of Delhi
Delhi-110007, India

Date :

Certificate of Originality

The research work embodied in this thesis entitled “Legal Regulation of

Advertising in India” has been carried out by me at the Faculty of Law,

University of Delhi, Delhi, India. The manuscript has been subjected to

plagiarism check by Turnitin software. The work submitted for consideration of

award of Ph.D is original.

(ANCHAL MITTAL)
Candidate

iii
 STUDENT APPROVAL FORM

Name of the Author ANCHAL MITTAL

Department LAW

Degree Ph.D.

University University of Delhi

Guide Dr. Sunanda Bharti

Thesis Title LEGAL REGULATION OF ADVERTISING IN INDIA

Year of Award

Agreement

1. I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written
permission/statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to
be included in my thesis/dissertation, allowing distribution as specified below.

2. I hereby grant to the university and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive
and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis/dissertation,
in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other
ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis/dissertation. I also retain the right to
use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis,
dissertation, or project report.

Conditions :

1. Release the entire work for access worldwide

iv
 2. Release the entire work for ‗My University‘
only for

1 Year
2 Year
3 Year

and after this time release the work for

access worldwide.

3. Release the entire work for ‗My

University‘ only while at the same time
releasing the following parts of the work
(e.g. because other parts relate to
publications) for worldwide access.

a) Bibliographic details and Synopsis only.

b) Bibliographic details, synopsis and the

following chapters only.

4. View Only (No Downloads) (worldwide)

Signature of the Scholar Signature and seal of the Guide

Place: Delhi

Date : __________

v
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Undertaking this thesis has been a life changing experience for me and would not have
been possible without the continuous support, guidance and contribution of my
supervisor.

I hope to operationalize the suggestion incorporated in my work, so that they are

instrumental and relevant to our socio legal domain. I take this opportunity to extend my
sincere gratitude to all those who made this Ph.D thesis possible. It has been a result of
seamless support and encouragement of people including my well-wishers, my friends,
my seniors, colleagues, family and divine forces.

First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my research

supervisor Dr. Sunanda Bharti for her continuous and unconditional support and
dedication to help, advice, inspire, encourage, directed and motivate me throughout this
journey. Without her sincere guidance, feedback, out of the box thinking, patience and
belief in me this PhD would not have been possible. Her enthusiasm, passion to explore
and know more, professionalism and positive attitude has made a profound impression
on me, which I aspiration to follow. During our course of interaction in last four and half
years (approx.) I have learnt significantly from her, most essentially that life is a learning
process and only our perspective and keenness to learn helps us to cultivate with a stroke
of serendipity. Every time I met her, she carried the same degree of conviction, clarity,
systematized approach to a problem, critical assessment and welcoming attitude. She has
immensely supported and motivated me during this journey. I am really glad and
thankful to be guided, mentored and metamorphosed by Dr. Sunanda Bharti in my life.

My indebted thanks to my research co-guide Prof. (Dr.) Ashwani Kumar Bansal, former
Dean, Faculty of Law, Delhi University who not only drove me to pursue my doctoral
degree but inspired me to be a fragment of academia.

I immensely appreciate the seamless support and motivation that I received from Dr.
Kiran Gupta, a very senior, humble and extremely helpful Professor of the Faculty of
Law, Delhi University.

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A special mention of thanks to Ruchika Mittal, my dear sister, for going through my
thesis even though she was occupied with prior commitments.

I would like to thank the office and library staff and library, Faculty of Law, Delhi
University, the Indian Law Institute, Faculty of Law, SGT University, the Indian
Institute of Public Administration and National Law School of India University,
Bangalore.

I would like to acknowledge the relentless support, motivation and inspiration of my

parents that they pervaded in me. My gratitude would be deficient, unless I thank all my
friends and people who voluntarily or involuntarily contributed in my journey.

Anchal Mittal
Candidate

vii
 LIST OF CASES

 Ajay Goswami v. Union of India [2007] AIR SC 493.

 Alma Lovell v. City of Griffin 82 Law Ed. 949, 303 U.S. 444.
 Ankur Gutkha v. Indian Asthma Care Society SLP No. 16308 of 2007.
 Annamalayar Agencies v. VVS and Sons 2008 (38) PTC 37 (Mad).
 August Storck USA v. Nabisco Inc 59 F.3d 616 (7th Cir. 1995).
 Awdhesh Singh Bhadoria v Union of India and Others 2013 (2) JLJ 199.
 Babban Prasad Mishra v P.S. Diwan (2006) CriLJ3263 (High Court of Chhattisgarh).
 Bajaj Auto Ltd v. Pankaj Kumar [2006] IV CPJ 267 NC.
 Bates v. State Bar of Arizona 433 U.S. 350.
 Bennett Coleman v. UOI (1972) 2 SCC 788.
 Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986) 3 SCC 615.
 Brij Bhushan v. State of Delhi AIR 1950 SC 129.
 Brilliant Classes v B.M. Gupta [2007] R.P. No. 1281.
 Britannia v. Unibic Biscuits India (2007).
 Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) and Ors. v. Union of
India (UOI) [2003] 8 SCC 412.
 Central Hudson Gas & Electric Co. v. Public Service Commission 65 L. Ed. 2d 341
(1980).
 Century Plyboards (India) Ltd. v. The Advertising Standards Council of India 1999
SCC OnLineBom 444.
 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission 558 U.S. 310 (2010).
 Clark v. Freeman [1848] 11 Beav.
 Colgate-Palmolive (India) v. Anchor Health & Beauty Care O.A. Nos. 493 & 494 of
2008.
 Colgate Palmolive Company and Ors. v. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. 2014(57) PTC
47(Del).
 Colgate Palmolive v. HLL AIR 1999 SC 3105.
 Colgate-Palmolive (India) v Anchor Health & Beauty Care [2008] 4 LW628.
 Common Cause v. Union of India and Centre for Public Interest Litigation vs. Union
of India Civil Writ Petition No. 13 of 2003 and No. 197 of 2004.

xii
 Common Cause (A Regd. Society) v. UOI and Ors. 2017 (2) SCALE 169.
 Consolidated Edison Co. v. Public Service Comm‘n 47 N.Y. 2d 94,110, 390 N.E. 2d
94,110,390 N.E. 2d 749, 759(1979).
 Cumberland Packing Corp. v. Monsanto Co. 32 F. Supp. 2d 561 (E.D.N.Y. 1999).
 Dabur India Ltd v. Colortek Meghlaya Ltd. 2010 (42) PTC 88 (Del).
 Dabur India Ltd v. Emami Ltd. 2004 (29) PTC 1 Del.
 Dabur v. Wipro 2006 (32) PTC 677 (Del).
 Dabur India Limited v. Colgate Palmolive India Ltd. 2004 (29) PTC 401 Del.
 Danjaq v. Trab
 D.A.V. Institute of Physiotherapy v. Miss. Navleen Kaur and Ors. (1998) 1 CPJ 430
(Punjab).
 Dharam Dutt v. Union of India (2004) 1 SCC 712.
 Divisional Controller, K.S.R.T.C., Mysore Division v. Azeez Ahmed (1991) II CPJ
734 (Karn).
 D.M. Entertainment. v. Baby Gift House and Ors. CS(OS) No. 893/2002.
 Dr. J.J. Merchant & Ors. v. Shrinath Chaturvedi [2002] 6 SCC 635.
 Edmund Irvine Tidswell Limited v. Talksport Limited [2002] EWHC 539.
 Entertainment Network (India) Ltd. v. Super Cassette Industries Ltd. (2008) 13 SCC
30.
 Eureka Forbes Ltd. v. Pentair Water India Pvt. Ltd. 2007 (4) KarLJ 122.
 Excel Wear v. Union of India AIR 1979 SC.
 FTC v. Garvey 383 F.3d 891, 901 (9th Cir. 2004).
 Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. v Ajay Kumar AIR 2008 SC 1828.
 Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. v. Dharampal Satyapal Ltd. 2012 (51) PTC 251 (Del).
 Godrej Sara Lee Ltd. v. Reckitt Benckiser (I) Ltd. 2006 (32) PTC 307 (Del).
 Gwalior Development Authority v. Manju Nayak and 4 Ors. (1998) 2 CPJ 64 (MP).
 Haelan Laboratories v. Topps Chewing Gum 202 F.2d 866 (2d Cir. 1953).
 Hamdard Dawakhana (Wakf) Lal v. Union of India 1960 AIR 554.
 Havells v. Amritanshu Khaitan and Ors. 2015 (62) PTC 64 [Del].
 Havells India Limited v. The Advertising Standards Council of India (2016) 227
DLT 719.

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 Henderson v. Radio Corporation Pty Ltd. [1969] RPC 218.
 Hindustan Unilever Ltd. v. Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd. AIR 2013 Cal 90.
 Hindustan Times v. State of U.P. (2003) 1 SCC 591.
 Horlicks Ltd. & anr v. Heinz India Private Limited MANU/DE/4628/2018.
 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd v. Union of India (1985) 1 SCC 641.
 ICC Development (International) Ltd. v. Arvee Enterprises 2003(26) PTC 245 Del.
 Indraprastha People & Anr. v Union of India & Ors. [2015] DHC (1) RCR(Civil) 24.
 Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India Writ Petition (Civil) No 494 Of
2012.
 Kailash v. Nanhku & Ors. [2005] 4 SCC 480.
 Kasim v. State of Kerala [2009] CriLJ 4091.
 Karamchand Appliances v. Sri Adhukari Brothers 2005 (31) PTC 1 (Del).
 K. L.M. Royal Dutch Airlines v. Director General of Investigation and Registration
AIR 2009 SC 938.
 L‘Oreal SA and others v. Bellure NV and others (Case C-487/07).
 Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India AIR 1978 SC 597.
 Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Change v. American Heritage Products Inc
694 F.2d 674 (11th Cir 1983).
 Metro Tyres Ltd. v. The Advertising Council of India & Anr. 2017 SCC Online Del
7504.
 Mishawaka Rubber and Woollen Mfg. Co. v. S. S. Kresge Co. 316 U.S. 203 (1942).
 Mission Dental College and Hospital v. Bhupesh Khurana and Ors. [2009] (2)
ALD38(SC).
 MRF Ltd. v. Inspector Kerala Government AIR 1999 SC 188.
 Mr. Mahesh Bhatt and Kasturi and Sons vs. Union of India (UOI) and Anr.
147(2008) DLT561.
 Ms. A. Arulmotzhi v The Govt. of India and Ors. [2006] AIR Mad 49.
 M.S.M. Sharma v. Krishna Sinha AIR 1959 SC 395.
 Noise Pollution (V), In re (2005) 5 SCC 733.
 Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Association 436 U.S. 447, 436 U.S. 455-456 (1978).
 Optonica Kalyani Sharp India Ltd. v. Gopal Lakhotia (2003) 3 CJP 435 (Andhra
Pradesh).

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 Pepsi Co. Inc. v. Hindustan Coca Cola Ltd. 2001 (21) P.T.C. 699.
 Pepsi Co. Inc. And Ors. v. Hindustan Coca Cola Ltd. 2003 (27) PTC 305 Del.
 Philips India Pvt. Ltd. vs. Shree Sant Kripa Appliances Pvt. Ltd. CS (OS)
No.1913/2014.
 P.K. Somanath v. State of Kerala [1990] CriLJ 542 (High Court of Kerala).
 President v. State of U.P. and Others Public Interest Litigation Number 12510 of
2006.
 Procter and Gamble Home Products Private Limited v. Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
2017(69) PTC528(Del).
 Rajat Sharma v. Ashok Venkatramani & Anr. IA No. 381/2019.
 Rast v. Van Deman & Lewis Co. 240 U.S. 346.
 Ravi v. S.I. of Police MANU/KE/0335/1988.
 Reckitt Benckiser Health Care (India) Pvt. v. Emami Ltd. and Ors. (2015) 4 CHN 19.
 Reckitt Benckiser (India) Pvt. Ltd. v. Gillete India Ltd.
 Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd. v. Hindustan Lever Limited (2008) DLT 650.
 Reckitt & Colman India Ltd. v. M.S. Ramachandran 1999 PTC 741.
 Reckitt and Colman of India Ltd. v. Kiwi T.T.K. Ltd. 63 (1996) DLT 29.
 Reliance Petrochemicals Ltd v. Indian Express AIR 1989 SC 190.
 Rihanna v. Topshop
 Royal Baking Powder Company v. Wright Crosssley and Co. (1901) 18 R.P.C 95.
 Robyn Rihanna Fenty, Roraj Trade LLC, Combermere Entertainment Properties LLC
v. Arcadia Group Brands Limited (T/A Topshop)
 Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras AIR 1950 SC 124.
 R. Rajagopal v. State of Tamil Nadu 1994 SCC (6) 632.
 R. Ramesh v M/S Prakash Moped House and Others [2001] R.P. No. 831.
 Sai Lok Kalyan Sanstha v. Union of India 2014 SCC Online Del 7024.
 Sakal Papers (P) Ltd. v. Union of India AIR 1962 SC 305.
 Shiv Cable TV System v State of Rajasthan [1993] AIR Raj. 197.
 S. Khushboo v. Kanniammal & Anr. (2010) AIR SC 3196 3203.
 Smith vs. Chanel 402 F.2d 562 (9th Cir. 1968).
 Star India Private Limited v. Leo Burnett India (Pvt.) Ltd. (2003)2B C R655.

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 State of Andhra Pradesh v. McDowell AIR 1996 SC 1627.
 State of Madras v. V.G. Row AIR 1952 SC 196.
 State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain AIR 1975 SC 864.
 Struggle Against Pain through its President v. State of U.P. and Others Public
Interest Litigation Number 12510 of 2006.
 Tata Press Ltd. v. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (1995) 5 SCC 139.
 Thornhill v. Alabama 310 U.S. 88, 96 (1940).
 Titan Industries Ltd v. M/s Ramkumar Jewellers 2012 (50) PTC 486 (Del).
 The Advertising Standards Council of India v. Reckitt Benckiser India Pvt. Ltd.
(2017).
 Tolley v. JS Fry & Sons Ltd. [1931] AC 333.
 Top Shop/Top Man Limited (2) [2013] EWHC 2310 (Ch).
 Unibic Biscuits India Pvt. Ltd. v. Britannia Industries Ltd. MANU/KA/0240/2008.
 Union of India v. Naveen Jindal (2004) 2 SCC 510.
 U.S. v. Edge Broadcasting Co. 125L. Ed. 2d. 345, 61 U.S.L.W. 4759, 4761 (1993).
 Ushodaya Publications (P) Ltd. v. Government of Andhra Pradesh AIR 1981 AP 109.
 Vinoo Bhagat v. General Motors (I) Ltd. & Anr. (1998) 2 CPJ 565 (Delhi).
 Virgina State Board of Pharmacy v. Virgina Citizens Consumer Council, Inc., 425
U.S. 748, 96 ct. 1817 (1976), 4L. Ed. 2nd 346.
 Valentine v. Christensen 316 U.S. 52, 86L. Ed.1262, 62S Ct.920 (1942).
 Virendra v. State of Punjab AIR 1957 SC 896.
 White v. Mallin 1895 AC 154.

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 ABBREVIATIONS

Ad - Advertisement
Ads - Advertisements
AAAA - American Association of Advertising Agencies
AAAI - Advertising Agencies Association of India
Ads - Advertisement
ANA - Association of National Advertisers
AROI - Association of Radio Operators for India
ASA - Advertising Standards Authority
ASCI - Advertising Standards Council of India
ASRC - Advertising Self-Regulatory Council
BCI - Bar Council of India
CAD - Comparative Advertising Division
CAIT - Confederation of All India Traders
CARU - Children‘s Advertising Review Unit
CAS - Common Access System
CBBB - Council of Better Business Bureaus
CCC - Consumer Complaint Council
COTPA - Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce,
Production, Supply and Distribution) Act.
DMA - Direct Marketing Association
ERA - Electronic Retailing Association
ERSP - Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program
FCTC - Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
FDA - Food and Drugs Administration
FMCG - Fast-Moving Consumer Goods
FSSAI - Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

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FTC - Federal Trade Commission
FTC - Fast Track Complaints
FTCP - Fast Track Complaints Panel
I&B - Information and Broadcasting
IBF - Indian Broadcasting Foundation
IPR - Intellectual Property Rights
IRP - Independent Review Process
IAB - Interactive Advertising Bureau
ICC - International Chamber of Commerce
ISA - The Indian Society of Advertisers
INR - The Indian rupee
KMPL - Kilometers Per Litre
MRTP - Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969
MSG - Monosodium Glutamate
NAD - National Advertising Division
NAMS - National Advertising Monitoring Service
NARB - National Advertising Review Board
NARC - National Advertising Review Council
NBA - News Broadcasters Association
NGO - Non-governmental organizations
PTO - Patents and Trademark Office
SEBI - Securities and Exchange Board of India
TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
TV - Television
USPTO - US Patents and Trademark Office
WHO - World Health Organization

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