Archives: FTC

FTC on Influencers and Consumer Reviews from the NAD Conference

By Matthew Renick on September 27, 2019 Posted in Advertising, FTC

Earlier this week at the National Advertising Division (NAD) annual advertising law conference, Mamie Kresses, a senior attorney in the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Advertising Practices division at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), offered her views on influencers and consumer reviews, two topics near and dear to our hearts. We wanted to share some key … Continue Reading

Are Made in USA Chickens Worthless? These and Other Deep Questions from the FTC’s Made in USA Workshop

By Amy Ralph Mudge and Randal M. Shaheen on September 26, 2019 Posted in FTC

Today the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hosted a half-day workshop looking at Made in USA claims and the FTC’s guidance and enforcement. For those who want to watch “all or substantially all” of the event, the videos and materials can be accessed here. Some highlights and suggested next steps are below. By way of general background, … Continue Reading

Lead Generation Leads to FTC Settlement

By Randal M. Shaheen and Amy Ralph Mudge on September 3, 2019 Posted in FTC

There is nothing particularly new about the idea of lead generation in marketing. Companies have from the very beginning paid their own employees or paid others to help find prospects for their goods and services. However, in today’s digital world and with the myriad different ways in which consumer information is gathered, the use of … Continue Reading

FTC Nursery Guides Go Bye-Bye but Not Without a Fight

By Amy Ralph Mudge and Randal M. Shaheen on June 10, 2019 Posted in FTC

We have practiced in the consumer protection space collectively for more than 50 years and have not once had occasion to consult the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC or Commission) Nursery Guides. Perhaps then it is no surprise that the FTC has decided that after 40 years it was time to say goodbye to the guides. … Continue Reading

FTC MUSA Remedy Wars Continue

By Randal M. Shaheen and Amy Ralph Mudge on May 17, 2019 Posted in FTC

We recently wrote about the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) recent approval of a pair of Made in USA (MUSA) settlements. It is also worth noting that the approvals drew a statement and a dissent from the Commission’s Democrats and a concurrence from Chairman Simons. As is often now the case, the dispute made its way … Continue Reading

COPPA Safe Harbor Hit by Storm

By Randal M. Shaheen and Amy Ralph Mudge on April 17, 2019 Posted in COPPA, FTC

Administrations come and administrations go, but the FTC and self-regulation have had a long-running love affair. But can there be too much of a good thing? The FTC has long been an enthusiastic cheerleader and active supporter of self-regulatory programs such as NAD. And the bloom doesn’t appear to be off that rose. However, a … Continue Reading

Are Reports of the Federal Trade Commission’s Death Greatly Exaggerated?

By Randal M. Shaheen and Amy Ralph Mudge on March 5, 2019 Posted in FTC

The multiverse is abuzz about the recent Third Circuit ViroPharma decision and other like-minded courts that have placed significant limitations on the ability of the Federal Trade Commission to obtain an injunction in federal court against allegedly unlawful behavior that companies have already ceased. The FTC Act as originally written required that the agency bring … Continue Reading