Rules & Resources
Bylaws & Rules

Chapter B: Article 1 - General

B 1.1 File Copies, Subscription Promotion Offers

Publishers shall maintain on file for the use of the auditors copies of all subscription offers, either as advertised in their own or other publications, or sent out in the form of circulars, or presented on radio and television, or any other electronic medium; copies of the scripts and visual presentations should be available; also copies of all contracts made with solicitors, canvassers, subscription agencies, or any other parties through whom subscriptions are obtained for their own publications.

B 1.2 International Editions

Copies of international editions served may be included in the data shown in Paragraph 1, provided the international editions carry all advertising scheduled for and appearing in the United States and/or Canadian editions, but the average number of copies sent by mail or sold through dealers to international countries shall be stated and explained in the paragraph of the Publisher's Statements and Audit Reports devoted to general explanations.

Copies of international editions served that do not contain all advertising copy appearing in the United States and/or Canadian editions (except by special arrangement) shall not be included in the figures shown in Paragraph 1, but may be shown and explained in the paragraph of the Publisher's Statements and Audit Reports devoted to general explanations.

B 1.3 Advertising Omitted

If some copies of a publication credited as paid circulation differ from the rest of the copies in that some national advertising appearing in the publication has been omitted from a certain edition or a certain portion of the copies distributed, it shall be noted in Paragraph 1 and explained in the paragraph devoted to general explanations. The provisions of this rule shall not be interpreted as applying to occasional, emergency or authorized omissions of advertisements or to the omission of advertising it is unlawful to print in certain states and provinces.

B 1.4 Congregation-Wide Subscriptions of a Religious Publication

A religious publication shall be judged to be one primarily concerned with religion in purpose and/or content. It must be recognized by fellow religionists as a religious publication. It must be recognized as religious by some official or standard published list.

Congregation-wide subscriptions are those subscriptions of a religious publication obtained under a plan whereby members of a religious congregation receive the publication, the subscriptions are paid with church funds, special or regular collections, assessments or contributions.

These subscriptions shall be set forth in Paragraph 1 as ``Subscriptions: Congregation-wide." Subscriptions so reported shall qualify as paid subscriptions, provided they conform to Bureau rules defining paid circulation in all other respects.

A complete explanation of such subscriptions and the plan or plans under which the subscriptions are paid shall be shown in the paragraph devoted to general explanations in Publisher's Statements and Audit Reports.