News Releases for July 2008

July 22, 2008

• For Release: July 22, 2008
  Commission Posts Agenda for Roundtable on 'FTC at 100: Into Our Second Century'First Public Meeting Scheduled for July 29-30, 2008, in Washington, DC
• For Your Information: July 22, 2008
  FTC, California Office of Privacy Protection to Co-Host Workshop for Businesses on Best Practices for Protecting Personal Information and Securing DataThe Federal Trade Commission and the California Office of Privacy Protection will co-host a half-day public workshop in Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, on how businesses can secure personal information and protect the privacy of consumers and employees.
• For Your Information: July 22, 2008
  Commission Denies Petition Regarding Use of Term "Cultured" to Describe Laboratory-created Gemstones; Commission Approves Federal Register Notice Regarding Fees to Access the National Do Not Call RegistryCommission denial of petition from jewelry industry trade associations - The Commission has denied a petition submitted by the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) and 10 other jewelry industry trade associations requesting that the FTC amend the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries (Guides), 16 C.F.R. Part 23.

July 21, 2008

• For Release: July 21, 2008
  FTC, University of Washington School of Law Clinic to Host Town Hall Meeting to Explore Contactless PaymentThe Federal Trade Commission and the Technology Law and Public Policy Clinic at the University of Washington School of Law will co-host a day-long Town Hall meeting on the campus of the University of Washington to examine emerging uses of contactless payment devices and their implications, including security and privacy implications, for consumer protection policy.

July 18, 2008

• For Release: July 18, 2008
  Invention Promoters Will Pay $10 Million to Settle FTC ChargesThe owners of an invention promotion operation have agreed to pay $10 million in consumer redress to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceived consumers across the country.

July 17, 2008

• For Release: July 17, 2008
  FTC Challenges Pernod Ricard's Proposed Acquisition of V&S Vin & SpritConsent Order Requires Pernod to Stop Distributing Stolichnaya Vodka, Implement Firewall Preventing it from Getting Information on Four Competing Beam Global Brands
• For Release: July 17, 2008
  FTC Obtains Court Order Halting Credit Repair Scheme Charged with False Claims and Other Law ViolationsThe Federal Trade Commission has charged a credit repair company and its owner with violating federal law by falsely promising to remove derogatory information from consumers' credit reports – even if the information is accurate and not obsolete.

July 16, 2008

• For Your Information: July 16, 2008
  FTC Approves Federal Register Notice on Regulatory Review of Used Car Rule Commission approval of Federal Register notice – The Commission has approved publication of a Federal Register notice seeking public comments on the effectiveness and impact of the FTC’s Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule, 16 C.F.R. Part 455, commonly known as the Used Car Rule.

July 15, 2008

• For Release : July 15, 2008
  FTC Charges Dish Network Marketers with Do Not Call and Abandoned Call ViolationsDefendants to Pay $95,000 for Violating Commission’s Telemarketing Rules
• For Release : July 15, 2008
  Defendants in International Spam Operation Settle FTC Charges; New Canadian Defendants IdentifiedDefendants in an operation that sold bogus weight loss supplements through illegal spam e-mail have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that their operation violated federal laws.

July 14, 2008

• For Release : July 14, 2008
  FTC Issues Staff Report on Roundtable Discussion About Phishing EducationThe Federal Trade Commission today released a staff report on a Roundtable Discussion on Phishing Education that it hosted in April.
• For Your Information: July 14, 2008
  New FTC Online Resource Answers Questions about U.S. Antitrust LawsWhat are the antitrust laws and how do they promote and protect competition? Find the answers in a new online resource from the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC Guide to the Antitrust Laws.
• For Release : July 14, 2008
  FTC to Hold Public Workshop to Examine Debt Settlement Industry; Agency Seeks Comments, Original Papers, and ParticipationThe Federal Trade Commission staff will host a workshop on September 25, 2008, to explore growth in the for-profit debt settlement industry and to examine its impact on consumers and businesses.

July 11, 2008

• For Your Information: July 11, 2008
  Commission Approves Federal Register Notice Regarding Light Bulb LabelingCommission approval of Federal Register notice – The Commission has approved the publication of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) in the Federal Register to initiate a proceeding to evaluate labeling requirements for “lamps,” more commonly known as light bulbs.
• Media Advisory: July 11, 2008
  FTC To Host Public Workshop on "Green Guides" and Claims for Building and TextilesWorkshop is Third in Agency's Review of its Environmental Marketing Guides

July 10, 2008

• For Release: July 10, 2008
  FTC Challenges Flow International's Proposed Acquisition of Rival OMAX Corp.Flow Required to Provide Competitors with Royalty-Free License to OMAX Patents
• For Your Information: July 10, 2008
  FTC Submits Do Not Call Report to Congress for FY 2007Commission approval of report to Congress – The Commission has approved the issuance of a report to Congress regarding the Do Not Call Registry for Fiscal Year 2007.

July 9, 2008

• For Release: July 9, 2008
  FTC Testifies on Behavioral AdvertisingIn testimony on behavioral advertising, the Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that "the issues surrounding this practice are complex ... the business models are diverse and constantly evolving, and ... behavioral advertising may provide benefits to consumers even as it raises concerns about consumer privacy."

July 8, 2008

• For Your Information: July 8, 2008
  FTC Proposes Rescinding 40-Year Guidance on Statements Concerning Tar and Nicotine YieldsThe Federal Trade Commission has proposed rescinding guidance issued in 1966 that generally permits statements concerning tar and nicotine yields if they are based on the Cambridge Filter Method, which is sometimes referred to as “the FTC Method.”
• For Your Information: July 8, 2008
  Evaluating Private Residential Treatment Programs for Troubled Teens FTC Urges Caution When Considering 'Boot Camps'
• For Your Information: July 8, 2008
  ‘Red Flag’ Regulations Require Financial Institutions and Creditors to Have Identity Theft Prevention ProgramsFinancial institutions and creditors are now required to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs under the new "Red Flags Rules."

July 2, 2008

• For Your Information: July 2, 2008
  FTC Will Study Experiences of Identity Theft Victims The Federal Trade Commission plans to study the experiences of identity theft victims by conducting a survey of consumers who contacted the FTC after they were victimized.

July 1, 2008

• For Release: July 1, 2008
  Pyramid Scheme Operator Settles FTC ChargesAn operator who used deceptive earnings promises to recruit consumers for a multi-level marketing operation that was a pyramid scheme has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the operation was illegal and violated federal law.
• For Your Information: July 1, 2008
  FTC Approves Federal Register Notice Amending Appliance Labeling Rule Regarding Metal Halide LampsCommission approval of Federal Register notice- Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the publication of a notice in the Federal Register amending the Appliance Labeling Rule with regard to the labeling requirements for metal halide lamp fixtures.