(Wines&Vines) - In a refreshing process rarely seen in the Byzantine world of alcoholic beverage regulations, California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control board today announced new regulations about third-party marketing and advertising agents crafted with the aid of the industry. The ABC ruled that Internet sites are advertising, not sales, but set stringent controls on their use. The announcement was made at a meeting of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators in San Francisco this morning. It was little more than two years ago that the ABC issued guidance that implied that companies involved in marketing wine had to be licensed – but no appropriate license existed.