News Releases for May 2008

May 30, 2008

• For Your Information: May 30, 2008
  Commission Extends Public Comment Period in Petroleum Industry Marketing Manipulation ANPR Proceeding Until June 23, 2008Commission extension of public comment period – The Commission today announced the extension of the public comment period related to the Petroleum Industry Marketing Manipulation Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) Proceeding.
• For Your Information: May 30, 2008
  Commission Approves Retention of Leather Guides in Their Current FormCommission approval of Federal Register notice – Following a public comment period, the Commission has voted to retain the agency’s Guides for Select Leather and Imitation Leather Products, commonly known as the Leather Guides, in their current form.
• For Your Information: May 30, 2008
  FTC Urges Consumers to Use Caution When Seeking a LocksmithIf you’ve ever locked yourself out of your car or home, you know what a hassle it can be.  Your first thought is to get someone to help.
• For Release: May 30, 2008
  FTC Earns Association of Government Accountants Award for Performance and Accountability ReportThe Federal Trade Commission has earned the Association of Government Accountants Certificate of Excellence Accountability Reporting (CEAR) award for its Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) for fiscal year 2007.

May 28, 2008

• For Release: May 28, 2008
  FTC Permanently Halts ‘Pretexting’ Scheme; Defendants Barred From Obtaining or Selling Consumers’ Phone Records to Third PartiesThe Federal Trade Commission has put a permanent halt to an operation that allegedly obtained consumers’ confidential phone records without their knowledge or consent and sold them to third parties.

May 23, 2008

• For Release: May 23, 2008
  FTC Issues Statement Regarding Solicitor General’s Amicus Brief Filing in Pacific Bell Telephone Company v. linkLine CommunicationsToday the Federal Trade Commission announced that it has decided not to join an amicus brief filed by the Department of Justice urging the Supreme Court to grant certiorari in Pacific Bell Telephone Company v. linkLine Communications, No. 07-512 (U.S. Sup. Ct., Oct. 17, 2007).

May 22, 2008

• For Your Information: May 22, 2008
  Keep Summer Fuel Costs From Burning Your BudgetFTC Provides Tips for Saving Money at the Gas Pump and Cooling Your Home
• For Release: May 22, 2008
  FTC Charges Home Buying Consulting Business with Credit Repair ViolationsA home-buying consulting business that offers credit repair and home-buying consulting services has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission for alleged federal law violations, including illegally charging an advance fee for credit repair and falsely claiming that they can remove negative information from consumers’ credit reports, even if the information is accurate and timely.

May 21, 2008

• For Release: May 21, 2008
  FTC’s Bureau of Competition Issues FY 2007 Summary of Pharmaceutical Company Settlement AgreementsNearly Half Involved Payment to Generic Firms, Restricted Generics’ Ability to Enter the Market
• For Release: May 21, 2008
  FTC Testifies Before U.S. House Subcommittee on Progress of Credit-Based Insurance Score StudyThe Federal Trade Commission today provided Congress with an update on the progress of its study on the use of credit-based insurance scores in homeowners insurance.

May 20, 2008

• For Release: May 20, 2008
  FTC Announces ‘Operation Tele-PHONEY,’ Agency’s Largest Telemarketing Sweep More Than 180 Actions Brought by Commission and Its Law Enforcement Partners

May 19, 2008

• For Your Information: May 19, 2008
  FTC Seeks Public Comments on a Model Order to Obtain Data for Study of the Effect of Credit-Based Insurance Scores on Consumers of Homeowners InsuranceThe Federal Trade Commission has approved a resolution authorizing the use of compulsory process pursuant to Section 6(b) of the FTC Act and Section 215 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA).

May 16, 2008

• For Release: May 16, 2008
  U.S. Court of Appeals Affirms FTC Decision That Texas Doctors’ Group Engaged in Illegal, Anticompetitive Price-FixingIn a unanimous opinion issued on May 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a 2005 Federal Trade Commission decision that found certain activities of North Texas Specialty Physicians (NTSP) violated Section 5 of the FTC Act.
• Media Advisory: May 16, 2008
  FTC, Partners to Announce ‘Operation Tele-PHONEY’ Law Enforcement SweepIncludes Actions Brought by More than 30 U.S. and Canadian Agencies Targeting Telemarketing Fraud

May 15, 2008

• For Release: May 15, 2008
  FTC to Host Conference on Consumer Information and the Mortgage MarketThe Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Economics will host a conference on May 29 to highlight and assess the role of consumer information in the current mortgage crisis from an economic perspective.
• For Release: May 15, 2008
  Defendants Agree to $26 Million Judgment to Settle FTC Charges for Deceiving Merchants in Debt/Credit Card Processing Scheme The marketers of a debit and credit card processing services operation have agreed to judgments of more than $26 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceived small businesses throughout the country.

May 14, 2008

• For Release: May 14, 2008
  FTC Testifies Before Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Agency’s FY 2009 Budget RequestFederal Trade Commission Chairman William E. Kovacic and Commissioner Jon Leibowitz today testified before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Committee on Appropriations on the FTC’s behalf, requesting $256.2 million and 1,102 full-time equivalents (FTE) to accomplish the agency’s competition and consumer protection missions in fiscal year (FY) 2009.

May 13, 2008

• For Release: May 13, 2008
  FTC and Virginia AG File Complaint in Federal Court Seeking to Block Inova Health System Foundation’s Acquisition of Prince William Health SystemFTC and State Seek Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction
• For Release: May 13, 2008
  Pair Ordered to Pay $49 Million for Cross-Border Telemarketing FraudAt the request of the Federal Trade Commission, a federal judge has ordered two persons to pay more than $49 million for their role in a Canada-based scheme that duped American businesses into paying for business directories and listings they did not order.

May 12, 2008

• For Release: May 12, 2008
  FTC to Host Town Hall Meeting to Explore Contactless Payment The Federal Trade Commission and the Technology Law and Public Policy clinic at the University of Washington Law School will host a one-day Town Hall meeting to explore emerging uses of contactless payment devices and their implications for consumer protection policy.
• For Release: May 12, 2008
  FTC Approves New Rule Provision Under The CAN-SPAM ActThe Federal Trade Commission has approved four new rule provisions under the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM or the Act).

May 9, 2008

• For Release: May 9, 2008
  FTC and Virginia Attorney General Seek to Block Inova Health System Foundation’s Acquisition of Prince William Health SystemTransaction Would Reduce Competition and Result in Higher Health Care Prices in Northern Virginia
• For Your Information: May 9, 2008
  FTC Designates Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch as ALJ in Case Challenging Inova Health System Foundation’s Acquisition of Prince William Health System, Inc. The Federal Trade Commission has designated Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch as the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in the administrative trial on the merits challenging the proposed acquisition by Inova Health System Foundation of Prince William Health System, Inc.
• CORRECTED
  For Your Information: May 9, 2008
  FTC Warns Consumers About Potential Charity ScamsThe Federal Trade Commission is urging consumers to be cautious of potential charity scams in connection with the devastating cyclone in Myanmar.

May 8, 2008

• For Your Information: May 8, 2008
  Agencies Issue Proposed Rules on Risk-Based Pricing Notices The Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve Board today announced proposed regulations that generally would require a creditor to provide a consumer with a risk-based pricing notice when, based in whole or in part on the consumer’s credit report, the creditor offers or provides credit to the consumer on terms less favorable than the terms it offers or provides to other consumers.
• For Your Information: May 8, 2008
  FTC Files Comment with FERC on Standards of Conduct for Transmission ProvidersCommission filing of comment with FERC – The Commission has approved the filing of a comment with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) concerning standards of conduct for transmission providers.
• CORRECTED
  For Release: May 8, 2008
  Undercover Shoppers Find It Increasingly Difficult for Children to Buy M-Rated GamesResults Show Need for Continued Improvement by Movie, Music, and Some Game Retailers
• For Release: May 8, 2008
  ‘Express Consolidation’ Telemarketers Settle FTC ChargesDefendants Misled Consumers About Debt Management Program, Violated Provisions of the National Do Not Call Registry

May 7, 2008

• For Release: May 7, 2008
  “Free Trial” Smoking Cessation Patch Promoter Halts Deceptive Practices; Trials Weren’t Free, Patches Didn’t Work As Claimed, FTC AllegesAn operation that offered “free trials” of its herbal products, including smoking cessation patches, has agreed to halt its allegedly deceptive practices, pending trial.

May 6, 2008

• For Release: May 6, 2008
  FTC Modifies Order in Nine West Resale Price Maintenance CaseThe Federal Trade Commission has granted, in part, a petition from Nine West Group, Inc., to modify a 2000 FTC order prohibiting the women’s footwear company from fixing retail prices with dealers.
• For Release: May 6, 2008
  FTC Halts Illegal Spam Operation; Adult Site Violated CAN-SPAM ActThe Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice have halted the illegal conduct of an adult Web site that sent spam with false or misleading header information, that failed to include an opt-out mechanism, and that failed to include a valid postal address, all in violation of federal law.
• For Release: May 6, 2008
  Scorpio Telemarketers Stung with Court Order for Do Not Call ViolationsDefendants Were First to be Charged with Transmitting False Caller ID to Consumers
• For Your Information: May 6, 2008
  Commission Issues Letter in Response to SCI’s Motion for Extension of Divestiture Time PeriodIssuance of letter regarding motion divestiture time period extension –– The Commission has approved issuance of a letter responding to a motion by Service Corporation International (SCI) in which SCI sought to extend the time allowed to divest several assets obtained through its 2006 acquisition of Alderwoods.

May 5, 2008

• For Release: May 5, 2008
  Federal Agencies Release Annual Report to Congress on Scholarship FraudEach year, millions of students seek help in financing their college education, and some fall prey to scholarship and financial aid scams that “guarantee” money for college in exchange for a fee.
• For Release: May 5, 2008
  FTC Challenges Agrium’s Proposed Acquisition of UAP Holding CorporationCompanies Required to Sell Seven Farm Stores in U.S. Within 180 Days

May 2, 2008

• For Your Information: May 2, 2008
  FTC Approves Letter to ‘Freddie Mac’ on its Proposed Settlement with New York Attorney General and the Home Valuation Code of ConductThe Federal Trade Commission has approved a staff letter to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) on its proposed settlement agreement with the New York Attorney General and the related Home Valuation Code of Conduct.
• Media Advisory: May 2, 2008
  FTC to Host Town Hall Meeting to Explore the Mobile Marketplace IssuesTwo-day Town Hall meeting to explore the evolving mobile commerce marketplace and its implications for consumer protection policy.

May 1, 2008

• For Release: May 1, 2008
  FTC Seeks Public Comment on Rulemaking to Prohibit Market Manipulation in the Petroleum IndustryExercising the authority provided by Congress under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the Federal Trade Commission today announced the approval of an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public comments on the appropriate way to interpret and enforce the EISA’s provisions related to preventing market manipulation in the petroleum industry.
• For Release: May 1, 2008
  Court Orders Cross-Border Telemarketers to Pay Nearly $5 MillionCanadian Defendants Fraudulently Pitched Advance-Fee Credit Cards and “Free” Gifts