New Rule D 12.3 Non-Paid Multi-Copy Same Addressee Circulation (Adopted Nov. 2003)

At the November 2003 board meeting, the ABC board of directors adopted Rule D12.3, Non-Paid Multi-Copy Same Addressee Circulation. Business publications may qualify circulation delivered to designated addressees for redistribution to recipients unknown to the publisher, so long as records are kept on an issue-by-issue basis to show gross distribution.

This type of circulation would be reported as its own line item in Paragraph 1(b) of ABC reports. For Paragraph 3(a) Business/Occupational Analysis, the circulation would appear in its own column. In Paragraph 3(b) Age of Source, the circulation should be reported as “Direct request from recipient’s company,” Business Directories, Lists, or Other Sources, whichever is applicable. Further details of the circulation shall also be reported in the explanatory paragraph.

View a prototype of a Publisher’s Statement containing this type of circulation. (PDF*)

New rule language reads as follows:
D 12.3 Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee Circulation

a) Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee circulation is circulation delivered to designated addressees for redistribution to recipients unknown to the publisher. Records must be kept on an issue-by-issue basis to show gross distribution.

(b) Publisher's Statements and Audit Reports shall show copies distributed to designated areas but make no inference as to their final disposition.

(c) Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee may be reported in Paragraph 1(b) in Publisher's Statements and Audit Reports provided primary recipient (addressee) is in the field served by the publication and the age of the source documentation does not exceed 36 months.

(d) Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee circulation shall be reported in a separate column. Circulation may be classified by business and industry based upon the primary recipient’s (addressee) demographic data. The circulation may also be classified by business and industry based upon the end recipient’s demographic data. In these situations the primary recipient (addressee) must provide satisfactory evidence to support the classification. Classification by title and occupation shall be “other.”

(e) Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee circulation initiated by a request from the primary recipient (addressee) shall be reported as “Direct request from recipient’s company” in Paragraph 3b. Other acceptable sources are Business Directories, Lists, and Other Sources.

(f) Non-paid subscriptions delivered in bulk to corporations, institutions or individuals for their own employees, subsidiary companies or branches are not subject to the provisions of this rule provided the records show that copies are addressed and mailed to individuals in the employ of the subscriber or singularly to branch offices or subsidiary companies. If the copies are mailed in bulk, satisfactory documentary evidence must be maintained in the publisher's office showing that such copies are for distribution to employees, subsidiary companies or branch offices of such purchasers.

(g) Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee circulation shall be fully explained in the body of the Audit Report and the Publisher's Statement, giving details of their character and nature, showing how the copies are distributed and any other amplification necessary to make possible a clear analysis of their value including the range of distribution as follows: "distributed in quantities of __________ to __________."

(h) Non-paid Multi-copy Same Addressee subscriptions may not be fulfilled with digital editions.