Introduction
On February 6, 2020, the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, Third Department upheld a lower court ruling from 2018 which held that daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests amount to illegal gambling, and are thus unconstitutional in the state. In light of this decision, the New York DFS operations of popular companies like FanDuel

John P. Feldman
Expected changes to COPPA: bipartisan proposals and the FTC review
With newly proposed legislation, the House has joined the Senate in introducing bipartisan legislation making changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This pending legislation, when combined with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ongoing COPPA review and workshop, foreshadows expanded COPPA protections, especially for teenagers between 13 and 15 years of age.
To…
Does this new shirt make my claims look less puffy?
Claims that a product is “revolutionary,” “never before seen,” or providing a solution to an unsolved problem can be sometimes cavalierly regarded as puffery. We often find ourselves warning clients that the National Advertising Division (NAD) has sometimes required advertisers to have a reasonable basis for innovation claims (i.e., claims that their product…
FTC Seeks Public Comments to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced it is seeking public comment on the effectiveness of amendments made by the agency in 2013 to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection (“COPPA”) Rule, and whether additional changes are needed. In connection with this initiative, the FTC will hold a public workshop on October 7, 2019.
COPPA…
FTC Eyes Contact Lens Trademark Settlement Agreements
Over a spirited dissent, and in a 3-1 decision issued on November 14, the FTC Commissioners held that 1-800 Contacts violated Section 5 of the FTC Action by entering into settlement agreements with competitors that (1) harmed consumers in the online sale of contact lenses and (2) harmed search engines by artificially reducing the prices…
Have Something to Add? The NAD Updates Evidentiary Procedures
The National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau (“NAD”) recently announced updates to its procedures. The change was announced by the Director of the NAD, Laura Brett, at the NAD’s Annual Conference and is the self-regulatory body’s response to a recommendation from the ABA Antitrust Section’s Working Group.
The new procedural process is codified…
FTC Approves Final Revisions to Jewelry Guides
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) recently approved final revisions to its Jewelry Guides (formally, the “Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries,” the “Guides”), aimed at helping prevent deception in jewelry marketing. Based on the overall record of FTC review over the past six (6) years, the FTC has approved revisions to the…
EU’s GDPR applied to promotion marketing
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is underway, and companies and organizations around the world are analyzing its effects on how they collect, use, store and disclose data. U.S.-based sponsors of sweepstakes, contests, instant win games and other promotions opening entry to or targeting Europeans need to be mindful of the GDPR rules…
COPPA Revisited: The Do Not Track Kids Act of 2018 Provides a Glimpse into What Lawmakers Could Do to Ground Services with Large Teen Customer Bases
In enacting the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Congress determined that the safeguards built into the statute should apply only to children under 13. It sought to focus the restrictions on collection and use of personal information on younger children who are particularly vulnerable to marketing tactics because of their unfamiliarity with advertising and the…
A Straight-up Victory for States Rights in Regulating Sports Betting
On May 14, 2018 the Supreme Court of the United States released its decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. This decision invalidates the key Federal prohibition on State-authorized sports gambling businesses, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Under PASPA, except in connection with very narrow exemptions, States could not authorize…