For Your Information: July 29, 2003 Announced Actions for July 29, 2003
Approval of final consent orders: Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning Unither Pharma, Inc. and United Therapeutics Corporation. Approval of time period extension: The FTC has approved the extension of a time period in the matter concerning Baxter International, Inc.Joint amicus brief filed with the U.S. Department of Justice: The Commission has filed an amicus brief jointly with the U.S. Department of Justice in the case On Review of UPL Advisory Opinion No. 2003-2, Case No. S03U1451 (Ga. S. Ct.).
For Release: July 29, 2003 Financial Literacy and Consumer Education Subject of FTC Testimony
Continuing FTC testimony today before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Associate Director for Financial Practices Joel Winston discussed “financial literacy” and how it relates to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
For Release: July 28, 2003 FTC Expands Intellectual Property Expertise
The Federal Trade Commission announced today that two additional Counsels for Intellectual Property, Armando Irizarry and Thomas Mays, will join the Commission’s Bureau of Competition in July and September, respectively.
For Your Information: July 25, 2003 Announced Action for July 25, 2003 Approved an application for a proposed divestiture from Shell Oil Company and Pennzoil-Quaker State Company; approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning Southwest Physician Associates, et al., as well as a letter to the commenter of record.
Media Advisory: July 23, 2003 FTC Commissioner Orson Swindle to Speak on Safe Computing Practices
Federal Trade Commissioner Orson Swindle will address the importance of safe computing practices at a press conference to re-launch GetNetWise, www.getnetwise.org a public service Web site offering resources to make informed decisions about using the Internet. The media briefing is sponsored by the Internet Education Foundation, www.neted.org.
For Release: July 22, 2003 FTC Settles Price-Fixing Charges Brought Against Baton Rouge Physician Groups and Their Agent
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a proposed consent agreement with a Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based independent practice association (IPA), the three orthopedic practices whose doctors are members of the IPA, the IPA's agent, and the agent's managing director, settling charges that the respondents orchestrated and implemented agreements to fix prices and other terms on which they would deal with a health insurance company.
For Your Information: July 22, 2003 Announced Actions for July 22, 2003
Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of a final consent order in the matter concerning Southern Union Company and CMS Energy Corporation, as well as a letter to the commenter of record.
For Release: July 21, 2003 Identity Thief Goes “Phishing” for Consumers’ Credit Information
An identity thief who allegedly used hijacked corporate logos and deceptive spam to con consumers out of credit card numbers and other financial data has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that his scam violated federal laws.
For Release: July 18, 2003 Marketer of Pest Control Devices Required to Provide Support for Claims
Global Instruments, based in Trenton, Missouri, and its president, Charles Patterson, have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they made unsubstantiated claims about the effectiveness of Global’s electromagnetic (EM) and ultrasonic pest control products.
For Your Information: July 15, 2003 Announced Actions for July 15, 2003
Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of two final consent orders in the matters concerning Anesthesia Service Medical Group, Inc. and Grossmont Anesthesia Medical Group, Inc.
For Your Information: July 11, 2003 Announced Actions for July 11, 2003
Approved the filing of a staff comment with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) about its revised proposals to implement a standard market design (SMD) for regional wholesale electricity markets; Commission approval of final consent orders: Following a public comment period, the Commission has approved the issuance of two final consent orders in the matters concerning LCA-Vision, Inc. d/b/a LASIK-PLUS and The Laser Vision Institute, LLC, as well as a letter to the commenter of record.
Media Advisory: July 9, 2003 FTC, FDA to Announce Joint Health Care Initiatives
The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will host a joint press conference to announce their most recent efforts to crack down on misleading claims about the efficacy of dietary supplements and other health-related products and discuss the FDA's Nutrition Task Force Report and Dietary Supplement Enforcement Report.
For Release: July 9, 2003 FTC Charges San Francisco's Brown & Toland Medical Group with Price-Fixing
The Federal Trade Commission today issued an administrative complaint against California Pacific Medical Group, Inc., doing business as Brown & Toland, a San Francisco, California physicians' organization, for allegedly fixing the prices and terms under which its doctors would contract with payors to provide services for Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) enrollees.
For Release: July 9, 2003 Electronic Payment Processor Halted from Facilitating Fraudulent Telemarketing Transactions
The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint in U.S. district court charging Electronic Financial Group, Inc. (EFG) and its principals with providing assistance to fraudulent telemarketers seeking to drain funds from consumers’ checking accounts.
Correction For Release: July 9, 2003 Spam Testimony to Take Place Today
The FTC Calendar incorrectly identified Testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection and Telecommunications and the Internet as an event taking place on Thursday, July 10, 2003.
For Your Information: July 8, 2003 Announced Actions for July 8, 2003
Authorized the staff to file an amended complaint in the case currently pending against Patrick Cella, et al., CV-03-3202 (C.D. Calif.); authorized the publication of a Federal Register notice proposing substantive amendments to the FTC's Trade Regulation Rule Concerning the Labeling and Advertising of Home Insulation, commonly known as the R-value Rule.
July 7, 2003
For Release: July 7, 2003 FTC Charges Internet Mall Is a Pyramid Scam
The Federal Trade Commission has charged the operators of an Internet-based business opportunity that promised substantial income to participants in an Internet shopping mall network with operating an illegal pyramid scam.
July 3, 2003
For Release: July 3, 2003 FTC Halts Bogus Cross-Border Lottery Scheme
The Federal Trade Commission has filed suit in U.S. District Court to shut down the operation of a cross-border con artist who targeted elderly U.S. citizens in a bogus foreign lottery scheme.
For Release: July 3, 2003 Georgia Business Opportunities Company Settles Federal Charges
Merchant Payment Solutions (MPS) and its principal, Steven Todd Knight, have agreed to settle charges that they violated federal laws by operating and promoting a fraudulent business opportunity.
For Release: July 2, 2003 Spammers Settle FTC Charges
More than $200,000 for Consumer Redress, Principal Faces Jail Time for Mail Fraud
Corrected For Release : July 2, 2003 Bogus Business Opportunity Claims Halted [Corrected]
A U.S. District Court judge has halted the deceptive claims of an operation that promised one fee, turn-key get-rich-quick Internet home-business opportunities, but tacked on requirements that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars more, and that consumers rarely recovered.
July 1, 2003
For Release: July 1, 2003 Do Not Call Registrations Top 12.5 Million
Consumers continue to add their telephone numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry at a vigorous pace, favoring online registrations to telephone registrations 88 percent to12 percent.
