The UK Gambling Commission wants its licensed gambling operators to register their subsidiaries with the London Police ‘Infringing Website List’ which keeps track of websites that infringe on copyrights, helping advertisers to avoid them.
The commission said in a statement that operators must take full responsibility in certifying that third-party advertisers such as affiliates, agencies and ad-networks adhere to UK digital laws on IP protection. The licensees must also ensure that ad campaigns are not displayed on unauthorized websites that breach copyright-protected content.
The commission also asked licensees to update their third-party campaign advertising terms to meet current UK IP and copyright infringement requirements. Operators must be able to terminate a third party’s contract promptly,” the commission said. This can be enforced if the licensee holds a “reasonable opinion” that the campaign is breaching copyright infringement.
The UK gambling industry is currently considering establishing a statutory regime on affiliate and third-party licensing for gambling advertisers. The issue has caused division in the industry, but recently gained the support of the Responsible Affiliates in Gambling trade body.
Advocates say an affiliate advertising code would safeguard standards and marketing practices. However, affiliates have said a mandatory regime could weaken their legal status in relation to dispute resolutions on campaign and advertising contracts.
