# Compliance note: spotify-concept-ad
Runtime date: 2026-10-20
Status: partial: Egyptian law read on an unofficial host (R-03 S-05), several Egypt rules rest on law-firm summaries only (marked unconfirmed); MENA outside Egypt not researched past one query; no official YouTube page on music in ads found
Brief slots used: topic = music and audio streaming app (prompt), market = Egypt and MENA for the Arabic version, global for the English version (decision D-05), platform = YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, public gallery page (decision D-06), language = Arabic and English (prompt); real_brand = Spotify, not owner (prompt, run conditions)
Categories matched: none matched (music and audio streaming is in no category of industry-rules.md section 2); general rules for every ad apply, plus the unofficial use of a real brand
Research notes: R-03-RQ-rules.md (queries, trace check, sources); R-01-RQ-brand.md (Spotify's own logo, endorsement and terms rules, cited by ID)

## Required disclaimers
| ID | Rule in plain words | Exact wording (or "not fixed by the rule") | Where and when it must show | Minimum size or time the rule states (or "not stated") | Languages | Source IDs | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RD-01 | The film must not suggest Spotify made, sponsored or endorsed it; the run conditions add a non-affiliation line | Not fixed by any rule. Run condition wording (BRIEF L4): "Unofficial concept, not affiliated with Spotify"; Arabic wording draft, owner to approve | Last frame and delivery note (BRIEF L4); no rule found sets the placement | not stated | English version: English; Arabic version: Arabic (with English allowed alongside, R-03 S-05 art. 5) | R-01 S-03, R-01 S-04, R-03 S-10, R-03 S-13, R-03 S-16, R-03 S-02 | medium (the need is high; no rule fixes wording, size or time) |
| RD-02 | Advertising aimed at Egypt is written in Arabic, in clear readable lettering; other languages may sit alongside Arabic | Not fixed by the rule | All on-screen text of the version aimed at Egypt | not stated ("بخط واضح تسهل قراءته") | Arabic (plus optional other languages) | R-03 S-05 (art. 5), R-03 S-01 | medium (law binds the supplier; read on an unofficial host) |
| RD-03 | Any disclosure that is shown must be clear and visible; fine print or obscured text does not count | Not fixed by the rule | Wherever a disclosure appears | not stated | Language of the version | R-03 S-01 | low (unconfirmed: summary only) |
| RD-04 | If a price, plan, discount or free trial is shown: the full cost, taxes, payment model and renewal terms must be disclosed and match the live offer | Not fixed by the rule | Same frame as the price or offer, or a clear terms line | not stated | Language of the version | R-03 S-05 (art. 9 items 4, 10), R-03 S-03, R-03 S-13, R-03 S-14 | medium (law text and platform pages agree; exact form unconfirmed) |
| RD-05 | Paid relationship label, only if any paid or benefiting relationship exists (none in this project) | Labels named in the summary: "Sponsored by", "Paid Partnership", "Ad", at the start of the post or caption | Start of post or caption | not stated | Language of the post | R-03 S-01, R-03 S-02 | low (unconfirmed: summary only; not triggered now) |
| RD-06 | If run as a TikTok ad: language must suit the target market, otherwise subtitles in an acceptable language | Not fixed by the rule | Whole ad | not stated | Target market language | R-03 S-15 | high (platform page, April 2026) |
| RD-07 | If run as a YouTube ad: the ad must be clearly branded with the advertiser's or product's name or logo | Not fixed by the rule | Not stated | not stated | n/a | R-03 S-09 | high (platform page); see TL-01 for the conflict this creates for a non-owner |

## Restricted claims and words
| ID | What may not be said or shown | Why (rule in plain words) | Source IDs | Applies to (market, platform) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC-01 | Lines or images that say or imply Spotify made, presents, sponsors, approves or partners with the film: "official", "Spotify presents", "brought to you by Spotify", a Spotify-voiced call to action posted as if by Spotify, Spotify's social handles shown as the poster | No suggestion of partnership, sponsorship or endorsement without Spotify's written approval; platforms ban implying support by another brand or impersonating it; Egypt consumer law counts misleading use of trademarks and logos as deceptive conduct | R-01 S-03, R-01 S-04, R-03 S-13, R-03 S-16, R-03 S-10, R-03 S-02, R-03 S-05 (art. 9 item 9) | All markets; YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, gallery |
| RC-02 | The Spotify logo recolored, rotated, stretched, refilled, used as a letter or in a sentence, built into new shapes, placed in busy or low-contrast areas, or paired with another brand | Spotify's published logo and co-branding rules | R-01 S-02 | All |
| RC-03 | Other brands' names, logos or apps on screen (rival streaming apps, phone or device brands, other apps in captured screens) | TikTok bans third-party brands without authorization; Meta and Google ban IP infringement and confusing trademark use; Egypt summary limits competitor marks to what a comparison needs | R-03 S-16, R-03 S-08, R-03 S-11, R-03 S-02 | All; strict on TikTok |
| RC-04 | Real album artwork, artist names, track or playlist titles, user content inside captured or rebuilt screens, and any artwork that is cropped, blurred, overlaid or animated | Spotify's artwork and metadata rules; platforms' third-party IP rules; run conditions | R-01 S-02, R-03 S-08, R-03 S-16 | All |
| RC-05 | Absolute terms about Spotify tied to time, region or brand: "number one", "No. 1", "the best", "most popular", "the biggest", "first" (for example "the number one music app in Egypt") without proof | TikTok bans absolute terms of this kind; Egypt and Google require claims to be accurate and supported | R-03 S-14, R-03 S-13, R-03 S-01, R-03 S-05 (art. 9 item 3) | All; TikTok explicit |
| RC-06 | Comparisons with named or recognizable rivals (more songs, cheaper, better than), negative judgments of a rival brand, before and after comparisons that mislead | Comparatives need evidence or a clear disclaimer, must be measurable and verifiable, must not discredit or exploit a rival | R-03 S-14, R-03 S-01, R-03 S-02, R-03 S-11 | All |
| RC-07 | Prices, discounts, "free", "free trial", "months free" that are not the live offer for the target market on the publish date, or shown without the full cost and terms | Egypt bans deceptive price and false-discount claims; platforms ban dishonest pricing, unavailable offers and mismatched price information | R-03 S-05 (art. 9 items 4, 10), R-03 S-03, R-03 S-13, R-03 S-14 | All |
| RC-08 | Any real song, commercial recording, lyrics or clip from a real Spotify track or other media, without a license | Ads with music need licenses for recording and composition; copyrighted content needs authorization; TikTok Promote allows only original or commercially cleared sounds | R-03 S-08, R-03 S-12, R-03 S-16, R-03 S-18 | All |
| RC-09 | A real artist's or public figure's face, voice or likeness, or a voice imitating one | No misuse of a public figure's likeness without permission and no false endorsement | R-03 S-14 | All; TikTok explicit |
| RC-10 | Content that discriminates between citizens, insults them, or breaches public order or public morals | Egypt Law 181 article 13 | R-03 S-05 | Egypt |
| RC-11 | Clickbait or sensational text or imagery, and promises of improbable results ("never lose a song again", "all music ever made") | Platform misrepresentation and exaggeration rules | R-03 S-13, R-03 S-14 | All |

## Claims that need proof
| ID | Kind of claim | Proof the rule asks for | Source IDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP-01 | Any number about Spotify (users, subscribers, songs, podcasts, markets, languages) | A dated Spotify-owned source on the truth sheet (R-01, R-02); documentation kept for review | R-03 S-01, R-03 S-05 (art. 9 item 3), R-03 S-13 |
| CP-02 | Comparative claims against any rival | Evidence of measurable, verifiable features, or a clear disclaimer | R-03 S-14, R-03 S-01, R-03 S-02 |
| CP-03 | Price, plan, discount, free trial, renewal | Spotify's live plan page for the target market on the publish date, including taxes and renewal terms | R-03 S-05 (art. 9 items 4, 10), R-03 S-03, R-03 S-13 |
| CP-04 | Feature claims (offline listening, data saving, Arabic interface, lyrics, recommendations) | Spotify's own current page stating the feature for the target market | R-03 S-05 (art. 9 items 3, 6), R-03 S-13 |
| CP-05 | Awards, rankings, "number one" or quality marks | The awarding or ranking source, dated | R-03 S-05 (art. 9 item 8), R-03 S-14 |

## Targeting and placement limits
- TL-01 Paid placement by a non-owner: TikTok bans third-party brands without authorization, so a paid TikTok ad of this film needs Spotify's authorization (R-03 S-16); Google and Meta restrict confusing or infringing trademark use and accept rights-holder complaints (R-03 S-08, R-03 S-11, R-03 S-13); YouTube ads must be branded with the advertiser's or product's name or logo (R-03 S-09). Inferred: running this film as a paid ad by anyone other than Spotify conflicts with these rules; organic and gallery posting is judged by the platforms' trademark confusion test (R-03 S-10).
- TL-02 TikTok ad format, if used as an ad: 5 to 60 seconds, 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9, clear audio required (R-03 S-15). The 35 to 60 s duration in the brief sits inside this range.
- TL-03 Egypt contests: advertising a contest needs notice to the CPA first (R-03 S-05 art. 14); not planned in this film.
- TL-04 Egypt prior approvals under SCMR Decision 9 of 2025 cover health, medical, food and competitions only; none found for music streaming (R-03 S-04).
- TL-05 Children: in Egypt, no data from under-18s without parental consent (R-03 S-03, unconfirmed); the film collects no data.
- TL-06 No age gate or country ban for music streaming ads was found on any platform page opened.

## Sources
| ID | Title | Publisher | URL | Published | Accessed | Kind (regulator / platform / industry code / summary) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-03 S-01 | Advertising and Marketing 2025, Egypt: Law and Practice (p. 109) | Chambers and Partners (Eldib & Co) | https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/Advertising-and-Marketing-2025/110/ | 2025 edition | 2026-10-20 | summary |
| R-03 S-02 | Advertising and Marketing 2025, Egypt: Law and Practice (p. 110) | Chambers and Partners (Eldib & Co) | https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/Advertising-and-Marketing-2025/111/ | 2025 edition | 2026-10-20 | summary |
| R-03 S-03 | Advertising and Marketing 2025, Egypt: Law and Practice (pp. 112 to 113) | Chambers and Partners (Eldib & Co) | https://gpg-pdf.chambers.com/Advertising-and-Marketing-2025/113/ | 2025 edition | 2026-10-20 | summary |
| R-03 S-04 | What You Need to Know About Egypt's New Advertising Rules | Lexis Middle East (Al Tamimi & Company) | https://www.lexismiddleeast.com/eJournal/2025-03-17_3/en | 2025-03-13 | 2026-10-20 | summary |
| R-03 S-05 | قانون رقم 181 لسنة 2018 (Consumer Protection Law), text | alberonsy.com (unofficial host of the law text) | https://alberonsy.com/?p=3138 | law 2018-09-13; page 2024-01-20 | 2026-10-20 | regulator (law text, unofficial host) |
| R-03 S-06 | قانون حماية المستهلك رقم 181 لسنة 2018 (record) | manshurat.org | https://manshurat.org/node/31479 | 2018-09-13 | 2026-10-20 | regulator (law record) |
| R-03 S-07 | Meta Advertising Standards | Meta | https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/ | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-08 | Third-Party Infringement | Meta | https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/intellectual-property-infringement/third-party-infringement/ | change log 2024; served today | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-09 | Unbranded ads or brand channels | YouTube Help | https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1304642?hl=en | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-10 | Trademark | YouTube Help | https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6154218?hl=en | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-11 | Trademarks | Google Advertising Policies Help | https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6118?hl=en | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-12 | Copyrights | Google Advertising Policies Help | https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6018015?hl=en | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-13 | Misrepresentation | Google Advertising Policies Help | https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6020955?hl=en | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-14 | Misleading and false content | TikTok | https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-ads-policy-misleading-and-false-content | April 2026 | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-15 | Ad Format and Functionality | TikTok | https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-ads-policy-ad-format-and-functionality | April 2026 | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-16 | Intellectual Property Infringement | TikTok | https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-ads-policy-intellectual-property-infringement | April 2026 | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-17 | Deceptive Practices | TikTok | https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-ads-policy-deceptive-practices | August 2025 (stale, rechecked live) | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-03 S-18 | About TikTok Advertising Policies for Promote | TikTok | https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/about-tiktok-advertising-policies-for-promote | February 2025 (stale, rechecked live) | 2026-10-20 | platform |
| R-01 S-02 | Design & Branding Guidelines | Spotify for Developers | https://developer.spotify.com/documentation/design | not shown | 2026-10-20 | platform (brand owner's rules) |
| R-01 S-03 | Spotify Developer Terms, Version 10 | Spotify for Developers | https://developer.spotify.com/terms | effective 2025-05-15 | 2026-10-20 | platform (brand owner's terms) |
| R-01 S-04 | Spotify Terms of Use, Egypt English | Spotify | https://www.spotify.com/eg-en/legal/end-user-agreement/ | last updated 2025-08-26 | 2026-10-20 | platform (brand owner's terms) |

## Open items for the owner
- This note is research for the brief's markets and platforms, not legal advice. Using a real brand's name and logo in an unofficial concept carries trademark and endorsement risk; a legal check before publishing, or Spotify's written approval, is the only route the sources name (R-01 S-03, R-03 S-16).
- RD-01: the Arabic wording of the non-affiliation line is a draft, owner to approve; no rule fixes its size, placement or hold time.
- Unconfirmed (summary only, no law text opened): Egypt comparative advertising conditions, limits on competitor marks, disclosure clarity, sponsored labels, free-offer and renewal rules (R-03 S-01 to S-03). The Official Gazette text of Law 181 and Law 82 of 2002 (trademarks) was not opened.
- Not researched: advertising law in MENA markets other than Egypt (Gulf, Levant, Maghreb); confirm before targeting them.
- Paid placement: if the owner wants to run this film as a paid ad on any platform, TL-01 applies and authorization from Spotify is needed at least on TikTok.
- No official YouTube page on music in ads was found; the film's music must be licensed or generated by code (run conditions, RC-08).

## Owner decision on RD-01 (2026-10-21, D-46)
The owner chose, after the endorsement and trademark risk was explained to him, to remove the non-affiliation line from the film entirely and keep it only in the gallery caption and the landing page card: "اشيل جملة غير رسمي من الفيديو خالص، وخليها في وصف الـ gallery وكارت صفحة الهبوط بس". This overrides the run condition placement (last frame) for this demo. The exact wording stays "Unofficial concept, not affiliated with Spotify"; ice/review/NOTE.md must state that the film carries no line and that the caption and the card must carry it.