The Federal Trade Commission today announced it is issuing a second Federal Register notice as the next step in its proposal to study the effectiveness of class action settlement notice programs. The notice continues the clearance process for the study, which will examine consumer understanding of class action settlement notifications. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, […]
Monthly Archives: July 2017
Federal Trade Commission Approves Appointment of Monitor in Pay-for-Delay Case against Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The Federal Trade Commission has approved the appointment of Quantic Regulatory Services, LLC as monitor in its case alleging that Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. violated antitrust laws by using pay-for-delay settlements to block consumers’ access to lower-cost generic versions of Opana ER and Lidoderm. Under an order entered by the Federal District Court for the Northern […]
FTC Action: Light Bulb and Cleaning Product Merchants Banned from Telemarketing Office Supplies
The Federal Trade Commission has obtained court orders against two Maryland-based office supply operations charged with tricking small businesses, non-profit organizations, and other consumers into paying for overpriced office and cleaning supplies they never ordered. The orders ban the companies and their principals from telemarketing office and cleaning supplies. Billing for unordered merchandise is against […]
Paint Companies Settle FTC Charges That They Misled Consumers; Claimed Products Are Emission- and VOC-free and Safe for Babies and other Sensitive Populations
Four paint companies have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceptively promoted products as emission-free or containing zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including during and immediately after application. Some promotions also made explicit safety claims regarding babies, children, pregnant women, and other sensitive populations. However, the FTC alleged, the companies had no […]
FDIC Seeks Comment on Manual for Processing Deposit Insurance Applications
FIL-26-2017 July 10, 2017 FDIC Seeks Comment on Manual for Processing Deposit Insurance Applications Printable Format: FIL-26-2017 – PDF (PDF Help) Summary: FDIC is seeking public comment on a procedures manual developed to assist FDIC staff as they evaluate and process deposit insurance applications. Statement of Applicability to Institutions with Less Than $1 Billion in […]
FTC Office and Bureau Directors Comment on State Legislative Proposal Affecting Compensation for North Carolina Real Estate Appraisers
In response to a request from North Carolina Assistant Attorney General Roberta A. Ouellette, the directors of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning, Bureau of Competition and Bureau of Economics have issued a comment on the competitive impact of proposed legislation affecting compensation for real estate appraisers in North Carolina. The proposal, NC House […]
FTC Returns More Than $49 Million in Refunds to DeVry Students
Starting today, the Federal Trade Commission is mailing 173,000 refund checks totaling more than $49 million to students in compensation for DeVry University’s allegedly misleading ads, which the Commission alleged deceived students about their likelihood of finding jobs in their field of study and the income level they could achieve upon graduation. According to the […]
FTC Halts Operation That Unlawfully Shared and Sold Consumers’ Sensitive Data
The operators of a lead generation business have agreed to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission that the company misled consumers into filling out loan applications and sold those applications – including consumers’ sensitive data – to virtually anyone willing to pay for the leads. In its complaint, the FTC alleges that Blue […]
FTC Acting Chairman Ohlhausen Announces Departure of Tad Lipsky and Appointment of Markus Meier as Acting Director of Competition Bureau
Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen announced today that Abbott (Tad) Lipsky, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, retired effective July 3, 2017. Lipsky was previously a partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP, and brought 40 years of experience in antitrust law to the position, including previously […]
FTC Accepts Proposed Consent Order in Broadcom Limited’s $5.9 Billion Acquisition of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.
Semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom Limited has agreed to establish a firewall to remedy the FTC’s concerns that its proposed $5.9 billion acquisition of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. is anticompetitive. These concerns arise because of Broadcom’s current access to the confidential business information of Brocade’s major competitor, Cisco Systems, Inc., that could be used to restrain competition […]