CHAPTER THREE THE PRACTICE OF MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING ACTIVITIES
Article 10
Before a participant takes part in the plan or organization of a multi-level marketing enterprise, the enterprise shall inform the participant of the following particulars, and shall make no concealment, false, or misleading presentations:
1. paid-up capital and gross business volume of the multi-levels sales enterprise;
2. multi-level marketing plan, and conditions of participation;
3. laws and regulations relevant to multi-level marketing;
4. obligations and responsibilities of a participant, and conditions of withdrawal by a participant from the organization or plan, and rights and obligations arising from the withdrawal;
5. matters relevant to the goods or services;
6. the calculation methods, criterion, and reasons, when multi-levels sale enterprises deduct the devaluation amount from the price in repurchasing the goods or services pursuant to the later sentence of Articles 21.3 or 24 of the Act;
7. such other matters as may be required by the competent authority.
When a participant introduces another person to participate in the organization or plan, such participant shall make no false or misleading presentations on items listed in the preceding paragraph
Article 11
When recruiting participants by advertising or other means, a multi-level marketing enterprise shall make it clearly known that it is engaged in multi-level marketing activities; neither may it recruit participants under the disguise of recruiting employees or on other pretense.
Article 12
When promoting or selling goods or services or recruiting participants by means of declared cases of success, a multi-level marketing enterprise or its participants shall concretely explain the time periods, benefits obtained, and course of development of such cases, and may not make false or misleading representations.
Article 13
A multi-level marketing enterprise shall enter into a participation contract in writings with that who intends to participate in the plan or organization, and the multi-level marketing enterprise shall give the participant an original participation contract.
The writing referred to in the preceding paragraph may be in the form of an electronic document.
Article 14
The content of written contract should include the following:
1. matters referred in of Subparagraph Articles 10.1(2)-(7);
2. breaches of contract by the participants and the measures to the breaches;
3. the rights and obligations as referred in Articles 20-22, or the provisions that are more beneficial for participants;
4. the method for handling a request by a participant to return goods, when the contract is terminated because of participants’ violation of business rules or plans, or breaches as referred in Article 15.1, or other reasons attributable to participants;and;
5. the conditions for renew of contracts and the method of handling, when the contracts stipulate specific term of participation.
Article 15
Multi-level marketing enterprises shall stipulate in contract that the following are breaches of the participant, and shall prescribe methods for handling such breaches in order to prevent such breaches:
1. promoting or selling goods or services, or recruiting participants to the sales organization, by deceptive or misleading means;
2. raising funds from other persons in the name of the multi-level marketing enterprise or through its organization;
3. engaging in sales by means that run counter to public order or good morals;
4. affecting consumers’ rights and interests by improper direct sales calls;
5. engaging in sales that violate the Criminal Code or other laws or regulations governing industry and commerce.
Multi-level marketing enterprises shall enforce the handling methods referred in the preceding paragraph faithfully.
Article 16
Multi-level marketing enterprises may not recruit incapacitated persons to be participants.
A multi-level marketing enterprise recruiting a person with limited capacity to be a participant shall first obtain the written consent from the legal representative of such a person and also attach the said written consent to the contract.
The written consent referred to in the preceding paragraph may not be an electronic document.
Article 17
A multi-level marketing enterprise shall prepare the balance sheet and income statement for its multi-level marketing operations in the previous accounting year before the end of May each year and keep them in its main office.
When the capital of a multi-level marketing enterprise reaches the amount specified in Article 20.2 of the Company Act or the total multi-level marketing business volume in the previous accounting year exceeds the amount announced by competent authority, the multi-level marketing enterprise shall require auditing and certification by a certified public accountant for its financial statements.
Participants may request to inspect the aforesaid financial statements of the multi-level marketing enterprise to which they belong and the multi-level marketing enterprise may not refuse such requests without justifications.
Article 18
Multi-levels sales enterprises shall have participants engaged in promoting and selling goods or service in reasonable market price as their major income, instead of earning mainly by introducing new participants.
Article 19
A multi-level marketing enterprise may not engage in any of the following activities:
1. requiring a participant to pay any fee obviously incommensurate with the cost in the name of training, seminars, social activities, meetings, promotion or other like activities;
2. requiring a participant to pay any security deposit, breach penalty, or other fee, which is obviously unreasonable;
3. requiring a participant to purchase goods in a quantity that would obviously be impossible for an average person to sell out in a short period, unless it is agreed that the price shall be paid only after the goods are re-sold;
4. giving specific persons preferential treatment in a manner contrary to the multi-level marketing organization or plan and therefore damaging other participants’ rights and interests;
5. unduly request a participant to buy or grant a participant permission in two or more multi-levels sales organizations;
6. requiring a participant to undertake obviously unfair obligations.
Participants shall not engage in the activities referred in subparagraph 1 through, 3, 5 and 6 against the persons he or she introduce to participate.