Adlaw By Request : Advertising & Marketing Lawyer & Attorney : Reed Smith Law Firm : AdLaw By Request & KidAdLaw

BNA:  FTC Announces No FY 2011 Fee Increase For Access to National Do-Not-Call Registry

Telemarketers will not have to pay higher fees to obtain access to phone numbers on the National Do-Not-Call Registry in Fiscal Year 2011, according to an Aug. 31 announcement by the Federal Trade Commission.

BNA:  Italian Agency Warns Advertiser on Accuracy

Italian antitrust officials on Aug. 27 warned Italian cellular service provider 3 SpA to discontinue a misleading ad that allegedly manipulated competition against the company's larger rivals, and it warned companies that use of similar ad strategies could trigger fines.

FTC.gov:  FTC Shines a Light on Company’s Deceptive Claims for its LED Bulbs

Agency Charges Firm With Misrepresenting the Light Output and Life Expectancy of its Bulbs
The Federal Trade Commission has sued a California-based light bulb manufacturer and its principals to stop them from misleading consumers by exaggerating the light output and life expectancy of its Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs.

ITProPortal:  iTunes Users License Songs, Not Buy Them, Court Rules

In a breakthrough ruling US federal court has stated that songs from iTunes are licensed, not purchased.

The Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals has ruled that users who get their songs from Apple's music service iTunes do not purchase them, but receive a license to play them, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

FDA.gov:  FDA acts against 5 electronic cigarette distributors

Agency cites unsubstantiated claims, poor manufacturing practices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to five electronic cigarette distributors for various violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) including unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing practices.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Broadcasting & Cable:  FCC Appeals Fox Indecency Ruling

Says court's decision makes coming up with new enforcement policy a "seeming impossibility"

The FCC, with the backing of the Justice Department, has appealed a Second Circuit's Court of Appeals decision that its indecency enforcement policy is unconstitutionally vague, saying the ruling was unnecessarily broad and made coming up with a new indecency enforcement policy that would pass muster with the courts a "seeming impossibility."

BNA:  Italian Agency Questions Substantiation of Ad Claim

In what is portrayed as part of a broader crackdown on unsubstantiated medical claims, officials of Italy's Autorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato disclosed on Aug. 23 that the makers of the “Power Balance” bracelet have 15 days to provide the scientific documentation to prove the medical benefits of their advertising claims.

NY Times:  Charges Settled Over Fake Reviews on iTunes

Discerning Internet users know that glowing online reviews of things like books or restaurants cannot always be trusted. But federal regulators are serving notice that if you stand to gain financially from the review you are writing, you should be upfront about it.

Brandchannel:  Celebrities Strike Endorsement Deals in China

As the Chinese economy evolves, brand marketers there seem to be following in the footsteps of other global brands in applying tried and true techniques, such as using celebrities. What's different, though, is that upstart Chinese brands are importing foreign celebrities to pitch local products to Chinese consumers.

Environmental Leader:  EPA Proposes Fuel Economy Stickers

Beginning in 2012, new labels will help end the confusion caused by a new generation of electric and hybrid cars, fastcodesign.com reports.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation on Monday released two proposed window stickers designed to make it easier for consumers to compare vehicles.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Environmental Leader:  Study Finds 40% of U.S. Consumers Likely to Test Drive Evs
Forty percent of consumers say they are likely to test drive an electric vehicle, according to an online survey of American adults from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

Environmental Leader:  FTC’s Green Guides Could Nullify Environmental Seals of Approval

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is on track to release an updated set of Green Guides that are used by the agency to enforce environmental marketing laws against unfair and deceptive advertising, reports Advertising Age. Experts tell the magazine that the pending guidelines could make about 300 environmental seals of approval useless.

FTC.gov:  Auto Warranty Robocaller To Pay $2.3 Million, Sell Mercedes For Consumer Redress

Consumer Redress Collected from All Defendants in Robocall Case Totals $3 Million

One of the telemarketers who blasted U.S. consumers with millions of illegal auto “warranty” robocalls last year will pay approximately $2.3 million, give up his Mercedes, and be barred from telemarketing, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission that wraps up the agency’s case against the deceptive operation. In sum, the FTC is collecting nearly $3 million to reimburse victims of the scam.

Court House News:  Facebook Gives Teachbook an F

Facebook claims schoolteachers copied its work and should get an F. The social networking site claims that Teachbook.com "rides on the coattails of the fame and enormous goodwill of the Facebook trademark" in "a blatant attempt to become Facebook 'for Teachers.'"

Reuters:  Jury awards $7.3 million in "Man from U.N.C.L.E." case

A Los Angeles jury has awarded $7.3 million to producer Anchor Bay Entertainment from a woman who was accused of selling rights to the classic TV series "Man from U.N.C.L.E." that she didn't own.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link