News Releases for July 2004
July 30, 2004
- For Release: July 30, 2004
Federal Trade Commission Updates Online Summary of Telemarketing Fraud and Abuse Enforcement Actions
The Federal Trade Commission today issued its fifth quarterly announcement summarizing the agency’s continued enforcement against telemarketing fraud and abuse.
- For Release: July 30, 2004
Sellers of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Videos to Pay $1.1 Million To Settle Charges of Unauthorized Shipping and Billing
2003 Complaint Charged Defendants with Violations Related to Negative-Option Sales; Court Order Prohibits Misrepresentations, Billing Violations in the Future
- For Release: July 30, 2004
FTC Denies State Dental Board’s Dismissal Motion on State Action Grounds
Commission Remands Case to Administrative Law Judge
- For Your Information: July 30, 2004
FTC Staff Provides FDA with Comment on Permitting Health Claims for More Foods
Agency Encouraged to Revise Regulations to Allow More Accurate Health-Related Information for Consumers
- For Your Information: July 30, 2004
Announced Action for July 30, 2004
The Federal Trade Commission has approved a final consent order in the matter concerning Clark County, Washington, Attorneys.; The Commission has issued its final rule revising the fees charged to entities accessing the National Do Not Call Registry. The rule, which will become effective September 1, 2004, amends section 310.8 of the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR).
July 29, 2004
- For Release: July 29, 2004
FTC Sues Florida Man for Illegal Spam and False “Human Growth Hormone” Product Claims
A federal court in Chicago has issued a court order halting illegal spamming and deceptive product claims, and has also frozen the assets of Creaghan A. Harry, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida.
- For Release: July 29, 2004
FTC Crackdown on Illegal Canadian Lottery Sellers
A federal judge has ordered Canadian telemarketers running an illegal foreign lottery scam that targeted senior citizens in the United States to pay $19 million in consumer redress and has ordered a permanent halt to the scam.
- For Release: July 29, 2004
FTC Targets Major Do Not Call Registry Violator Peddling Bogus Debt Management Services
The Federal Trade Commission has charged five Florida corporations and the three individuals that control them with violating the National Do Not Call Registry and falsely representing they provide debt consolidation services.
July 28, 2004
- For Release: July 28, 2004
FTC Closes Investigation of Joint Venture Between Bertelsmann AG and Sony Corporation of America
The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has closed its investigation into whether the proposed joint venture between Bertelsmann AG and Sony Corporation of America may substantially lessen competition in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act or Section 5 of the FTC Act.
- For Release: July 28, 2004
Resolving Anticompetitive Concerns, FTC Clears Sanofi-Synthélabo’s Acquisition of Aventis
Sanofi Required to Divest Arixtra®, Campto® Studies, and Royalty Rights to Sepracor’s Estorra®
- For Release: July 28, 2004
FTC Charges College Financial Aid Company with Contempt
Agency Alleges National Student Financial Aid Continues To Deceive Consumers
- For Release: July 28, 2004
FTC Unveils New E-mail Address for Deceptive Spam: Spam@uce.gov
Old Address to be Phased Out
July 27, 2004
- For Release: July 27, 2004
Policy Planning Director Todd Zywicki Departs FTC
Ohlhausen to Assume Acting Director Responsibilities July 30
July 23, 2004
- For Release: July 23, 2004
FTC and DOJ Issue Report on Competition and Health Care
Report Reviews the Role of Competition, Provides Recommendations to Improve the Balance Between Competition and Regulation in Health Care
- For Release: July 23, 2004
Fraudulent “Green Card” Lottery Operators Hit a Red Light with the FTC and Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office
Husband and Wife Team Posed as Government Agency, Operated Fraudulent “Registration” Web Sites
- For Your Information: July 23, 2004
Announced Action for July 23, 2004
The Commission has approved a request for an extension of time pending Commission action on a petition to reopen and modify the final decision and order in the 2003 transaction involving Nestlé Holdings Inc., (File No. 021-0174, Docket No. C-4082) which concerned Nestle’s acquisition of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Holdings, Inc.
July 22, 2004
- For Release: July 22, 2004
FTC Challenges Cross-Border Telemarketing Scam Targeting Elderly Americans
The Federal Trade Commission has charged a group of Canadian telemarketers with operating a bogus "consumer protection service" that promises to protect consumers against telemarketing and unauthorized bank activity, then perpetrates that very fraud.
July 21, 2004
- Media Advisory : July 21, 2004
FTC and DOJ to Issue Report on Competition And the Health Care Industry
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice will host a press conference Friday, July 23, 2004, at 12:00 p.m. EDT, to announce the release of a joint report, Improving Health Care: A Dose of Competition.
- For Release: July 21, 2004
FTC Charges Canadian Defendants in Business Directory Scam
The Federal Trade Commission has charged a group of Canadian defendants with scamming small businesses and charities in the United States out of millions of dollars by billing them for business directory services they did not order or authorize, in violation of federal law.
July 20, 2004
- For Release: July 20, 2004
FTC to Host Symposium to Celebrate Agency's 90th Anniversary
The Federal Trade Commission has planned a symposium in honor of the FTC's 90th anniversary on September 22 and 23, 2004.
- For Release: July 20, 2004
FTC, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics to Host Workshop on Class Action Lawsuits
The Federal Trade Commission and the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics will co-host a workshop, “Protecting Consumer Interests in Class Actions,” September 13 and 14 in Washington, DC.
July 19, 2004
- For Release: July 19, 2004
Statement of Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy J. Muris on the Complaint Filed Today by MoveOn.org
I am not aware of any instance in which the Federal Trade Commission has investigated the slogan of a news organization.
- For Your Information: July 19, 2004
Announced Action for July 19, 2004
The Commission has extended the deadline for submitting comments on the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) Proposed Affiliate Marketing Rule until August 16, 2004.
July 16 , 2004
- For Your Information: July 16, 2004
Announced Action for July 16, 2004
The Commission has authorized the filing of a joint amicus brief with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Andrx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Kroger Company, et al. (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit). The Commission has received a petition for approval of proposed divestiture from American Air Liquide, Inc. (Air Liquide), related to the FTC’s recent decision and order regarding Air Liquide’s acquisition of Messer Griesheim GmbH. The Commission has submitted two comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
- For Release: July 16, 2004
Beales to Leave FTC Consumer Protection Post
Parnes to Assume Acting Director Responsibilities
July 15 , 2004
- For Release: July 15, 2004
FTC Orders Aspen Technology, Inc. to Divest Assets from its 2002 Purchase of Hyprotech, Ltd
Commission’s Complaint Alleged Acquisition Was Anticompetitive;
Companies Were World’s Largest Providers of Process Engineering Simulation Software
- For Release: July 15, 2004
FTC Testifies on Initiatives to Protect Competitive Markets for Gasoline
General Counsel Welcomes an Assessment of FTC’s Work; Calls on GAO to Release Its Methodology and Data Underlying Recent Report
July 14 , 2004
- For Release: July 14, 2004
Job Applicants Not Informed of Their Rights under Federal Credit Law, FTC Alleges
Bad Credit Lowered Consumers’ Odds for Casino Jobs
July 13 , 2004
- For Release: July 13, 2004
"Senior Moment" Maker Neglects to Prove its Claims
A dietary supplement manufacturer has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law by making unsubstantiated claims that its product, “Senior Moment,” could prevent memory loss and restore memory function in adults.
July 12 , 2004
- For Release: July 12, 2004
How to Deal with Rising Gas Prices: FTC Consumer Alert
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a Consumer Alert entitled, “Dubious ‘Gas-Saving’ Gadgets Can Drive You to Distraction,” that informs consumers about both gas-saving devices with questionable benefit and “tried and true steps to deal with rising gas prices.”
- For Release: July 12, 2004
Companies Operating Out of Tennessee and Florida Charged with Violating Numerous Federal Laws
Defendants Operated Phony Business Ventures, Ripping Off Consumers for Tens of Thousand of Dollars
July 9, 2004
- For Your Information: July 9, 2004
Announced Actions for July 9, 2004
The Commission is seeking public comment on proposed summaries of identity theft and of general consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act(FCRA) and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA).
July 8, 2004
- For Release: July 8, 2004
FTC Issues Fourth Follow-up Report on The Marketing of Violent Entertainment to Children
The Federal Trade Commission today issued a new follow-up Report to Congress on the marketing of violent movies, music, and video games to children.
- For Release: July 8, 2004
FTC, DOJ, U.S. Attorney Announce Indictment of Worldwide Coffee Franchisors
The Federal Trade Commission and United States Attorney Marcos Daniel Jimenez announced today the indictment of Jeffrey M. and Terri L. Salley on criminal contempt charges.
- For Release: July 8, 2004
Federal Court Finds Kevin Trudeau in Civil Contempt
On June 29, 2004, a U.S. District Court judge found Kevin Trudeau in contempt of court for violating a July 2003 stipulated preliminary injunction.
July 7 , 2004
- For Your Information: July 7, 2004
Announced Action for July 7, 2004
The Commission approved a notice supplementing its initial notice of proposed rulemaking for its proposed rule regarding Disposal of Consumer Report Information and Records, implementing Section 216 of the FACT Act.
- For Release: July 7, 2004
Gateway Learning Settles FTC Privacy Charges
Company Rented Customer Information it Pledged to Keep Private
- For Release: July 7, 2004
TC Reinstates Complaint of Unfair Methods of Competition Against Unocal
The Federal Trade Commission today reinstated charges that the Union Oil Company of California violated antitrust laws by defrauding the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in connection with regulatory proceedings regarding development of reformulated gasoline.
- For Release: July 7, 2004
FTC Testifies on its Initiatives to Protect Competitive Markets for Gasoline
General Counsel Announces Invitation to GAO to Co-Host Conference on GAO Oil Merger Report
July 6 , 2004
- Media Advisory: July 6, 2004
Press availability to announce settlement of a case with an Internet retailer that pledged to keep customer information private, but changed its policy and sold its customer lists, including information about kids, to target marketers.
July 2 , 2004
- For Your Information: July 02, 2004
Announced Action for July 02, 2004
The Commission has received a petition to reopen and modify the final decision and order in the 2003 transaction concerning Nestle´ Holdings Inc., File No. 021-0174, Docket No. C-4082
- For Release: July 2, 2004
Consumer Protection Cops Join Forces to Fight Illegal Spam Six Agencies on Three Continents Will Leverage Law Enforcement Efforts
Law enforcers from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia announced today that they will join forces and share resources to fight illegal spam.
July 1, 2004
- For Release: July 1, 2004
FTC Obtains Preliminary Injunction Against Marketers of Bogus Cancer-Cure "Supreme Greens"
The Federal Trade Commission has won a preliminary injunction against Donald Barrett, Direct Marketing Concepts, Inc. (DMC) and ITV Direct, Inc. (ITV), as part of the FTC's case alleging that defendants deceptively marketed their dietary supplement product, Supreme Greens with MSM.
- For Release: July 1, 2004
FTC Close Investigation Into Merger of Victory Memorial Hospital and Provena St. Therese Medical Center
The Federal Trade Commission has announced its decision to close its investigation into the consummated merger of two Waukegan, IL hospitals - Victory Memorial Hospital and Provena St. Therese Medical Center - and has notified the parties of its decision. In February 2000, the two hospitals entered into a joint operating agreement, creating the combined firm Vista Health.