Book excerpt: Ensuring marketers and advertisers are aware of the laws and regulations of advertising is now more important than ever. If a campaign is found to be potentially offensive, harmful, or misleading, it can 'go viral' in just the click of a mouse, and the implications of breaching those laws are likely to be both damaging and costly to a brand's reputation, its creative work, and the strategic planning behind it. Now offering level-headed advice on everyday questions encountered when designing and running promotional campaigns, Ad Law, the new book from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), is the ultimate handbook to the law and regulation of advertising and marketing communications. Containing guidance based on real-world experiences from media and advertising lawyers and the IPA legal team, this book expertly leads readers through the most applicable laws and regulations, common pitfalls and the practicalities behind them, such as the new industry-standard client/agency agreement. Covering issues such as intellectual property, privacy and defamation, plus the self-regulatory framework, Ad Law is the ideal companion for any advertising and marketing professional, or lawyer working within these sectors.