Announced Actions for June 29, 2005

Commission authorization of the staff to file amended complaint: The Commission has authorized the staff to file an amended complaint in the matter currently pending against Medical Billers Network, Inc. The Commission’s original complaint in this matter, filed in February 2005 as part of the Project Biz Opp Flop law enforcement sweep, charged the defendants with operating a fraudulent work-at-home promotion scheme. Through this action, the FTC staff has filed with the court to add Knarek Kalantaryan, the wife of defendant Chris Taylor, as a relief defendant in this matter.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the amended complaint was 5-0. (FTC File No. X050036, Civil Action No. 05 CV 2014; the staff contact is Daniel Salsburg, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-3402; see press release dated February 22, 2005.)

Publication of Federal Register notice: The Commission has approved the publication of a Federal Register notice concerning the FTC’s Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, 16 C.F.R. Part 23. According to the notice, which will be published shortly and is available now on the Commission’s Web site as a link to this press release, the FTC is seeking public comment on whether the platinum section of the Guides should be amended to provide guidance on how to mark or describe non-deceptively products containing between 500 and 850 parts per thousand pure platinum and no other platinum group metals. The notice also contains the deadline for submitting comments, as well as information on where they should be sent.

The Commission vote approving issuance of the Federal Register notice was 5-0. (FTC File No. G711001; the staff contact is Neil Blickman, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-3038.)

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP.