FTC Approves Final Consent Order in Case of Pfizer Inc. and Wyeth

Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final consent order regarding Pfizer Inc.’s recent acquisition of Wyeth, and responses to members of the public who provided comments. The final order settles charges that the transaction as proposed would have been anticompetitive in a number of markets for animal vaccines and […]

Mortgage Lender Must Hire Fair-Lending Consultant to Comply with FTC Settlement

A home mortgage lender that previously settled Federal Trade Commission charges of discriminatory lending will have to hire an outside consultant to make sure it does not illegally charge higher prices to African-American and Hispanic consumers. The mortgage lender, Gateway Funding Diversified Mortgage Services, L.P., and its general partner, Gateway Funding Inc, agreed to hire […]

January 28 Roundtable on Consumer Privacy is Second in Series

For Your Information January 28, 2010 The Federal Trade Commission is today holding its second privacy roundtable, hosted by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law Booth Auditorium. The event is being Webcast. Copies of the agenda and access to the Webcast are available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/privacyroundtables/index.shtml. […]

FTC Order Preserves Competition in Market for Important Scientific Research Device, While Allowing Danaher to Proceed with Purchase of MDS Analytical Technologies

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it will require the divestiture of MDS Inc.’s assets related to its laser microdissection business as a condition of allowing Danaher Corporation and MDS Analytical Technologies (US) Inc. to proceed with their proposed merger. The proposed settlement is designed to preserve competition in the North American market for […]

FTC Tells House Subcommittee it will Help Identify Ways to Strengthen Consumer Protections in the Funeral Industry

The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce that the FTC will use its expertise to help the Subcommittee address the problems highlighted by last year’s horrific events at the historic Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. The testimony presented […]

Commission Seeks Public Comments on Carilion Clinics Application to Divest Center for Surgical Excellence to Fairlawn Surgery Center, LLC; FTC Approves The Dow Chemical Companys Petition to Divest its Acrylic Acid and Latex Polymers Businesses to Arkema

Commission Seeks Public Comments on Carilion Clinic’s Application to Divest Center for Surgical Excellence to Fairlawn Surgery Center, LLC The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comments on a proposed divestiture by Carilion Clinic of Roanoke, Virginia. Under a December 2009 settlement with the FTC, Carilion must divest an imaging center and an outpatient surgical […]

Indoor Tanning Association Settles FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers About Skin Cancer Risks From Tanning

The Federal Trade Commission today charged the Indoor Tanning Association with making false health and safety claims about indoor tanning. Contrary to claims in the association’s advertising, indoor tanning increases the risk of squamous cell and melanoma skin cancers, according to the FTC complaint. The association has agreed to a settlement that bars it from […]

FTC Releases Agenda for Second Roundtable on Consumer Privacy and More Information for Third Roundtable

The Federal Trade Commission today released the agenda for its second roundtable on consumer privacy issues scheduled for January 28, 2010. The second roundtable, hosted by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, will take place at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law Booth Auditorium. The roundtable is the second of three public […]

Mortgage Broker Who Dumped Consumer Records Settles FTC Charges

A mortgage broker who discarded consumers’ personal financial records in a publicly- accessible dumpster paid a $35,000 civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges. According to an FTC complaint filed in December 2008, the defendant improperly disposed of about 40 boxes of sensitive consumer records collected by companies he had owned, including tax returns, […]

Commission Announces Revised Filing Thresholds for Clayton Act Antitrust Reviews; Commission Retains Amplifier Rule; Final Consent Orders against Six Businesses That Claimed to Comply With an International Privacy Framework

Commission Announces Revised Filing Thresholds for Clayton Act Antitrust Reviews The Federal Trade Commission, by a vote of 4-0, has approved a Federal Register notice announcing the revised thresholds for the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act, which requires premerger notification for certain large transactions. The FTC is required to revise the filing thresholds annually, based […]