The Organic Law of Communication (“LOC”) determines, in article 98, the rules of nationality for the production of advertisement to be disseminated through social communication media (“Rules of Nationality of Production”) which establish that advertisements transmitted through the social communication media:
Art. 98. – Production of National Advertising. – Advertising that is disseminated in Ecuadorian territory through the communication media must be produced in Ecuadorian territory by Ecuadorian natural persons or foreigners residing in Ecuador or produced abroad by Ecuadorian persons residing abroad or foreign legal entities whose ownership of the majority of the shares in said entity is held by Ecuadorian persons and whose payroll for its realization and production is made up of at least 80% of people of Ecuadorian nationality.
This payroll percentage will include the hiring of professional services.
The import of advertising pieces produced outside the country by foreign companies is prohibited, with the exception set forth in the first paragraph regarding foreign legal entities with a majority of the share package held by Ecuadorian persons.
For the purposes of this law, advertising production is understood to be television and film commercials, radio sports, photographs for static advertising, or any other audiovisual piece used for advertising purposes.
The advertising of international campaigns designed to promote respect and the exercise of human rights, peace, solidarity and human development is exempt from what is established in this article.
Social communication media are defined in the LOC as: “… public and private entities and community organizations, as well as the concessionaires of radio and television frequencies, who provide the public service of mass communication that utilize print media o radio services, television and audio and video subscription services, whose contents can be generated or replicated by the media through the internet.”
The Regulation for the Application of the LOC, among other aspects, regulated the application of the Rules of Nationality of Production for advertisement through alternative channels other than social communication media; and clarified on its application for each type of advertising piece in the case of advertisements aimed at promoting tourist destinations or events abroad or those in which the images of famous people or animated fictional characters that are the image of the brands are used. The derogatory provided by Executive Decree 32 has the following relevant implications in terms of advertising:
– Advertisement to be disseminated through alternative media such as (i) billboards or photographs located in public space in commercial premises; (ii) catalogs; (iii) flyers is no longer subject to the Rules of Nationality of Production.
– Importing printed advertising materials such as diaries, notebooks and catalogs is allowed.
– There is no prohibition for advertisement photography to be disseminated by social communication media to be taken by a foreign photographer – that is not an Ecuadorian resident – as long as the Rules of Nationality of Production regarding the property of the producer is complied with and the production team is at least made up of 80% Ecuadorians.
– There are no guidelines that regulate the application of Rules of Nationality of Production in the case of advertising intended to promote touristic destinations or events located outside Ecuador, the use of images of famous people or animated characters that are the international image of a brand (the derogated Regulations for the application of the LOC allowed the use of these videos/images for up to 20% of the duration of the video or the composition of the piece).
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