Legal & Editorial Standards
This policy sets out the standards that SKYSCRAPERS INFO LIMITED applies if and when commercial advertising, sponsored content or material brand collaborations are accepted on its independent information platform about skyscrapers, high-rise architecture, building data and the wider urban environment.
This Advertising & Sponsored Content Policy (the “Policy”) is published by SKYSCRAPERS INFO LIMITED, a company incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the “Operator”), and applies to the website operated at skyscrapersinfo.ltd together with any other online property that the Operator expressly subjects to this Policy (together, the “Website”).
The Website is an independent information and commercial media project focused primarily on skyscrapers, high-rise architecture, building data, construction projects and the surrounding urban environment. The Operator may, at its discretion, accept advertising, sponsored content, affiliate arrangements and brand collaborations. This Policy sets out the standards that will govern those activities if and when they are introduced.
Nothing in this Policy should be read as a representation that any specific advertising format, paid placement, affiliate programme, sponsored feature or data-based targeting capability is currently active on the Website. Where the Operator publishes commercial content, this Policy describes the conditions under which that content is accepted, labelled, disclosed and, where necessary, removed.
This Policy is a public statement of standards. It is distinct from, and does not replace, the separately negotiated advertising, sponsorship or campaign agreement (the “Advertising Agreement”) that the Operator may enter into with a particular advertiser, sponsor or commercial partner. In the event of any conflict between this Policy and an executed Advertising Agreement in respect of a specific transaction, the Advertising Agreement prevails to the extent of the inconsistency, save where mandatory applicable law requires otherwise.
For the purposes of this Policy, the following terms have the meanings set out below. They apply throughout the document and to any commercial content published under it.
Editorial independence is a condition of accepting any commercial relationship on the Website. The payment of a fee, the supply of complimentary access or the existence of any other Material Connection does not entitle an Advertiser or Sponsor to:
Sponsored publications may include advertiser-approved promotional messaging, product positioning, brand narrative and approved quotes, but their commercial character must remain clearly distinguishable from independent editorial reporting. Where a piece of content mixes editorial and sponsored elements, the editorial segments remain subject to the Operator’s editorial control and the Editorial Policy.
Where factual disagreement arises between the Operator and a commercial counterparty about a verifiable architectural or construction matter, the Operator’s independently sourced record prevails in the editorial portions of the Website, subject to the right of reply and correction set out in the Editorial Policy.
Commercial content must be clearly recognisable as such. Where the Operator accepts an Advertisement, Sponsored Content, Native Advertising, Paid Placement or Affiliate Content, it must be presented in a manner that an ordinary international reader could reasonably be expected to identify as commercial communication.
Where appropriate to the format and the applicable legal framework, the Operator will use clear and prominent labels such as those set out below. The list is illustrative and not exhaustive.
Vague, decorative or easily overlooked labels are not sufficient where there is a real risk that the audience would not otherwise understand that a commercial relationship exists. Disclosure should be:
Where local law or recognised industry guidance prescribes a stricter or more specific form of disclosure, that disclosure will take precedence over the indicative labels above. The Operator does not warrant that any single label will, in every jurisdiction, discharge every obligation that may apply to the underlying commercial communication.
The Website distinguishes between content produced as part of its editorial programme and content produced or materially supported in exchange for commercial consideration. Readers should be able to tell the two apart.
The categories below are illustrative and are not mutually exclusive:
Where the omission of a financial or material relationship could mislead a reasonable reader as to the origin or nature of the content, that relationship must be disclosed. The disclosure should identify the Sponsor or commercial partner and the nature of the consideration, in language that is reasonably understandable to the intended audience.
A paid architectural feature must not, by its presentation, labelling, design or accompanying copy, falsely imply that the sponsoring building, developer, designer or business has received an independent editorial award, ranking, certification or endorsement by the Operator or by a third party whose endorsement has not in fact been given.
The Operator may, in the future, participate in affiliate arrangements, referral programmes, sponsored press visits and complimentary access schemes. These arrangements can take many forms, including:
Where a Material Connection of this kind exists and a reasonable reader would consider it relevant to evaluating the associated content, the Operator will disclose the relationship in or alongside that content. The disclosure should be specific enough to allow the reader to understand the nature and approximate scope of the benefit.
An example of the kind of disclosure the Operator may use, adapted to the facts of a specific piece of content, would read along the following lines:
The Operator does not, as at the date of this draft Policy, represent that it currently earns affiliate commissions in respect of any specific category of content. Where commissions, referral fees or similar benefits begin to be earned in the future, the Operator will update the relevant disclosures on the affected pages and, where appropriate, this Policy.
Receipt of complimentary access, hospitality, travel support or a press invitation does not in itself constitute editorial approval of the host, the building, the developer or the project. Editorial conclusions about a building or development are reached on their architectural, technical and urban merits, as described in the Editorial Policy.
The Operator reserves discretion to assess the suitability of any proposed advertisement, sponsorship or commercial collaboration, having regard to the editorial character of the Website, applicable law, audience expectations and the commercial, reputational and legal risks associated with the campaign.
The following categories of advertising are not accepted:
Where advertising falling within certain regulated or potentially harmful categories is accepted in the future, that advertising will be subject to enhanced review before publication. Such categories include, without limitation:
The Operator does not maintain a universal prohibition on every regulated industry. Each campaign is reviewed on its own merits against applicable law, the factual substantiation offered by the Advertiser, the format of the placement and the likely audience.
Advertising directed at minors, or advertising that is reasonably likely to reach a significant audience of minors, receives additional review with regard to age-appropriate design, language and targeting. Where the Operator becomes aware that an advertisement involves claims about sensitive personal characteristics, health, religion, sexuality, political affiliation or similar protected attributes, that advertisement will be subjected to heightened scrutiny before acceptance or, if already accepted, will be considered for suspension or removal.
Advertisers are expected to provide truthful and supportable claims, accurate pricing, valid promotional mechanics and the disclosures that applicable law requires. The Operator relies on the Advertiser for the substance of those claims and is entitled to assume that, at the time of submission, the Advertiser has the necessary evidence to support them.
Where the Operator reasonably requires substantiation for a factual claim — including in respect of price, performance, certification, awards, sponsorship, environmental impact or technical specification — the Advertiser must provide that substantiation on request and within a reasonable time. Failure to do so is a legitimate ground for rejection, suspension or removal.
For architecture, construction and real estate-related campaigns in particular, additional care is required in respect of:
The Operator does not warrant that any advertisement published on the Website has been independently certified, audited or exhaustively verified by the Operator or by any third party on its behalf, unless a specific verification process has been agreed in writing and is described in or alongside the relevant advertisement.
The expectation that advertisers substantiate their claims does not eliminate any non-excludable responsibilities of the Operator under applicable law, including any responsibility that arises under consumer protection, advertising, defamation or product safety rules in a relevant jurisdiction. Nothing in this Policy excludes or limits any such responsibility.
Advertisers and Sponsors must hold, or have obtained sufficient written permission to use, all logos, photographs, renderings, architectural drawings, plans, videos, music, voice recordings, trade marks, brand names and other creative assets supplied for inclusion on the Website. The Operator may require evidence of those rights on reasonable request.
Architectural visualisations, computer-generated imagery and similar promotional artwork must be clearly distinguishable from verified photography of completed or under-construction structures where their presentation could mislead a reasonable viewer as to the current state of the building. The Operator may require a visible label, a contextual clarification or a different placement to avoid that confusion.
Submission of materials to the Operator does not, in itself, transfer ownership of those materials to the Operator. The Operator obtains only those usage rights that are expressly granted under the relevant Advertising Agreement, Order or Insertion Order. Rights not expressly granted are reserved by the rights holder.
The hosting of an image or other material on the Website, or on any underlying platform used by the Operator, does not in itself confer ownership of that material on the Operator, nor does it demonstrate that the Operator holds a commercial licence to use that material. Material of this kind should be used only on the basis of demonstrable ownership, a suitable licence, written permission from the rights holder, or another genuinely applicable lawful basis, confirmed after context-specific review. Copyright exceptions such as fair dealing, fair use or equivalent doctrines are narrow and should not be relied upon as the basis for using third-party photographs, architectural renderings, video or music in commercial advertising.
Any permission for the Operator to retain, republish, archive or use advertiser-supplied materials for portfolio purposes, case studies or future marketing must be set out in writing in the applicable Advertising Agreement. A general consent given by the submission of materials is not, of itself, sufficient.
The Copyright Notice of the Website describes the Operator’s general approach to the protection of intellectual property on the Website and applies alongside this section.
Where the Website contains editorial rankings, maps, building tables, comparison pages and reference data, those elements are produced under the editorial standards described in the Editorial Policy. Paid placements, sponsored listings, promoted map markers and similar commercial positions must be presented in a way that an ordinary reader can distinguish them from organic editorial output.
In particular:
The Operator does not, in this draft Policy, represent that any of the formats described above — including sponsored listings, promoted map markers or priority placements — are currently in use on the Website. Where such formats are introduced in the future, this section will inform their design, and any further operational rules will be set out in the relevant Advertising Agreement or Order.
The Operator may review, request changes to, reject, suspend, take down or refuse to publish any advertisement, sponsored content or commercial placement, in whole or in part, where it reasonably considers this necessary on legal, editorial, reputational, technical or operational grounds. Without limiting that discretion, the Operator may act where an advertisement:
The Operator does not represent that any particular advertisement or campaign has been, or will be, reviewed and approved by the Operator in advance of publication, beyond the review that is operationally appropriate for the format and risk profile concerned. Where pre-publication review is required by an Advertising Agreement, that agreement governs.
Consequences of rejection, suspension or removal for fees, refunds, make-goods or other commercial adjustments depend on the terms of the applicable Advertising Agreement and on mandatory applicable law. This Policy does not, in itself, create a right to a refund, a make-good or a credit.
Where material is unlawful, dangerous, harassing or otherwise urgent in character, the Operator may remove or restrict access without notice and without following the procedural steps that would otherwise apply, where such steps are not reasonably practicable in the time available. The Operator will, where appropriate, notify the relevant counterparty of any such urgent action after the event.
The Operator does not guarantee, and should not be understood to guarantee, any particular level of clicks, impressions, conversions, engagement, audience growth, enquiries, sales, search-engine ranking, dwell time or other performance metric in respect of advertising or sponsored content, unless a specific level or range has been expressly committed to under a written Advertising Agreement.
Any figures, forecasts or audience estimates provided by the Operator before a written commitment exists are indicative only. They are provided in good faith on the basis of information available at the time, are subject to change without notice, and do not constitute contractual commitments.
Where the Operator and an Advertiser agree specific reporting metrics, measurement methodology, attribution windows, viewability standards, brand-lift studies, delivery guarantees or similar terms, those terms must be set out in the relevant Advertising Agreement, Order or Statement of Work. No paid-service delivery obligation arises from this Policy alone, and the absence of an accepted Advertising Agreement, Order or equivalent arrangement means that the Operator has not undertaken to provide campaign delivery, reporting, performance, warranty or remedies of any kind.
This Policy does not, in itself, create any obligation to provide analytics dashboards, third-party measurement integrations, independent verification or post-campaign reporting of a particular depth or format. Where those services are required, they must be agreed and, where appropriate, priced separately.
Where the Operator introduces targeted advertising, behavioural tracking pixels, retargeting tags, audience sharing with third-party advertising platforms, direct marketing communications or similar functionality in the future, those activities must be conducted in accordance with applicable privacy and electronic marketing laws. The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486 of the laws of Hong Kong) is the Operator’s primary baseline as the law of its place of establishment. The applicability of the GDPR, UK GDPR and the relevant ePrivacy rules depends on their actual territorial and substantive scope in the context of the specific processing activity and the individuals concerned; the mere worldwide availability of the Website does not, of itself, place every visitor within the scope of those instruments.
The Operator’s general approach to personal data is described in the Privacy Policy, and the Operator’s use of cookies and similar technologies is described in the Cookies Policy. Those documents govern how personal data is collected, retained, shared and processed in connection with the Website, including for any advertising or measurement purpose.
This Policy does not, in itself, confirm that the Website currently operates any advertising cookies, third-party tracking pixels, behavioural targeting tools, audience-profiling systems, look-alike modelling, subscriber marketing, or a consent-management platform of the kind associated with such activities. Where such functionality is introduced in the future, it will be implemented in a way that is compatible with the choices already expressed by users, including any cookie preferences that the Website may collect through a consent or preference mechanism at that time.
The Operator does not, on the basis of this draft Policy, classify itself as an “online platform” or “very large online platform” within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (the Digital Services Act). If a future advertising or distribution feature is introduced that would bring the Operator within the scope of that Regulation or any equivalent regime, the Operator will reassess its obligations and update its policies accordingly.
The Operator recognises that advertising and sponsorship can create perceived as well as actual conflicts of interest. The Operator manages those conflicts through disclosure and through the substantive principle that editorial decisions must be reached independently of commercial payment, regardless of the Operator’s internal staffing or organisational arrangement. The editorial safeguards described in section 03 apply to all content, even where editorial and commercial responsibilities are performed by the same personnel.
A Material Connection between the Operator, a contributor and a third party is disclosed where its omission could reasonably be expected to influence a reader’s understanding of the content. The form of the disclosure depends on the format of the content and the nature of the relationship, but it should be specific enough to allow the reader to assess the connection for themselves.
No commercial arrangement entitles a Sponsor or Advertiser to:
The Operator does not warrant that no conflict of interest, perceived or actual, will ever arise in connection with the Website. Where an unanticipated conflict does arise, the Operator will take reasonable steps to address it, including by disclosure, recusal, post-publication correction or, where appropriate, removal of the affected content.
Specific campaign matters — including scope of work, creative approvals, intellectual property licences, fees, invoicing, payment schedules, taxes, duration, renewal, cancellation, refunds, make-goods, liability allocation, indemnification, confidentiality, applicable law and dispute resolution — belong in the separately accepted Advertising Agreement, advertising order, insertion order or Statement of Work agreed between the Operator and the relevant counterparty.
A separately executed Advertising Agreement prevails over this Policy in respect of the transaction-specific matters it expressly governs, subject to mandatory applicable law. Where the Operator and an Advertiser expressly agree in writing that this Policy is incorporated into their commercial arrangement, this Policy may form part of that contractual relationship. In the absence of such express incorporation, this Policy does not, by itself, give rise to contractual delivery, warranty or remedy obligations owed by the Operator.
This Policy does not attempt to prescribe monetary liability caps, blanket exclusions of liability, mandatory arbitration clauses, class-action waivers or similar contractual provisions that would more properly belong in a private, negotiated agreement. Where such provisions are agreed, they will be set out in the Advertising Agreement and will be subject to the limits imposed by mandatory law.
Nothing in this Policy is intended to create, and should not be construed as creating, a binding contract between the Operator and any Advertiser, Sponsor or reader. The Operator’s acceptance of a campaign will be evidenced only by a signed Advertising Agreement or, where the Operator uses an order-based workflow, by the Operator’s written confirmation of an accepted order.
The Operator may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in advertising practice, applicable law or the Operator’s commercial offering. Where this Policy is updated, the revised version will be published on this page with a revised effective date. Material changes that affect existing advertising relationships will, where reasonable, be communicated to the relevant counterparties in advance.
Readers and counterparties who wish to ask a question about advertising or sponsored content on the Website, request a correction, raise a concern about misleading commercial content, or report a suspected breach of this Policy may do so through the Contact page. The Operator will endeavour to acknowledge advertising-related enquiries in a reasonable time, without guaranteeing any specific response window.
Where mandatory law requires alternative or additional methods of contact — for example, in respect of statutory notices, takedown requests, or communications with regulators — those methods remain available and are not displaced by reference to this page. References to specific email addresses, registered offices, company numbers or service levels have been deliberately omitted from this draft and will be added only after verification against the Operator’s actual records.