CHANNEL Seven's current affairs show Today Tonight breached trade practices laws by entering into a deal with spruikers of a get-rich-quick scheme in return for an exclusive story, the High Court has ruled.

In a win for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which had been trying to rein in the media's use of misleading public relations spin, the court ruled in a majority decision that Seven had been misleading or deceptive.

In 2003 and 2004, a marketing consultant struck a deal with Today Tonight on behalf of get-rich-quick group Wildly Wealthy Women to run a series of exclusive stories about their business.

The consultant would receive a commission from Wildly Wealthy Women for every woman signed to a program teaching them how to become "millionaires" through investment in real estate.

No money changed hands between Seven and the consultant.