網路秘密行銷與公平交易法之因應

Probing into Online Stealth Marketing Through the Lenses of Competition Laws

所謂秘密行銷，是指事業隱藏其事業經營者身分，在消費者不知情或不知不覺中，接受其所為相關商品或服務之宣傳行銷。網路秘密行銷者，例如刻意製造傳播網路產品評論、影響市場對產品的評價；私下贊助網路廣告；或未揭露對價資訊而委請名人或素人於網路薦證…等。此類秘密行銷除可能具備道德非難性，亦可能涉及公平交易法的適法性問題。本文則著重探討公平交易法的適法性疑慮。基於上述的問題意識，本文將首先探討秘密行銷的一般定義與類型，其次針對網路秘密行銷事件，以美、英及我國為例舉例；接續簡述以美、英、及我國競爭法主管機關，針對網路秘密行銷採取的因應方式。同時文末結論並呼應學者所提建議，探討我國《公平交易法》現行第21條第5項的「薦證廣告」規定，針對推陳出新的網路秘密行銷方式，參考國際上已建立的指引規則與案例說明，以就網路秘密行銷各個環節的責任界限，做出更清楚的規範。

The term stealth marketing refers to an enterprise promoting its products or services to consumers deliberately keep customers from being aware of the essencce of marketing. Examples of online stealth marketing include secretly sponsor internet advertising, or commission celebrities or ordinary people to recommend products without disclosing their financial compensation. These stealth marketing may not only be morally questionable but may also involve legal issues related to competition laws. Leaning against this background, this article will first explore the general definition and types of stealth marketing, followed by major examples of internet stealth marketing events in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. It will also briefly describe the responses of competition authorities in these countries to online stealth marketing. Finally, the author explores the current provisions of Article 21(5) of Taiwan’s Fair Trade Act on“endorsement advertising”in light of dealing with new forms of online stealth marketing, and echoes the previous suggestions made by scholars in the conclusion section that the current rule of Taiwan Fair Trade Act could draw experiences from established international guidelines and cases to clarify the legal responsibility corresponding to various types of online stealth marketing.